New HEMI V8 Powered Dodge Magnum Officially Coming to Canada
After some deliberation regarding the Canadian market opportunity for the much anticipated rear-wheel drive HEMI V8 powered Dodge Magnum sports tourer, DaimlerChrysler Canada has officially announced that it will be available to fleet and retail customers.
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| DaimlerChrysler Canada has officially announced the much anticipated rear-wheel drive HEMI V8 powered Dodge Magnum sports tourer is on its way. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Despite a positive response from auto show goers since the car was unveiled in Los Angeles last January, the Magnum is a major departure for Chrysler Group's northern division. Why? Despite being the first high-performance sport wagon the brand has ever produced, it's more of a niche vehicle than the brand's core Caravan, Durango SUV or Ram and Dakota pickup trucks. It's not that selling it will be particularly difficult to those that want sports sedan performance and station wagon versatility, but so far buyers for such cars have been fewer and farther between than those for traditional sedans.
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| The Magnum is the sure sign that Dodge is fully returning to Canada as a distinct and separate car division. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
An interesting point in all this is that the Magnum is the sure sign that Dodge is fully returning to Canada as a distinct and separate car division. Last year the Dodge SX 2.0 replaced the Chrysler Neon (still called the Dodge Neon in the U.S.), which, along with the ultra-exotic Viper that never left, paved the way for a resurgence of Dodge cars to return. But at that time the company was still being coy about just how many non-trucks it would sell north of the 49th. While still not willing to divulge if models such as the slightly sportier Sebring-clone Stratus will show up anytime soon, the Magnum joins the ultra-hot SX 2.0 (Neon) based turbocharged SRT-4 to give a good start to a full Dodge car lineup.