Fourth time’s the charm, as it turns out with what was once a rather boring budget model into a great-looking sedan.
How do you build a cheap car? By saving on everything. Sounds stupid, but that’s how it is. If you look inside a Peugeot 107, you can understand why it used to be for less than 9,000 euros new. And that’s fine, your expectations have to match the money you spend.
Dodge Attitude
Dodge had a much simpler solution to the problem of not being able to offer a cheap car in an increasingly important market for the brand: Mexico. Their solution was the Attitude. And that is not a Dodge, but a Hyundai Accent. With a Dodge badge, but not even a Dodge grille or any other recess for a Dodge logo. There is only one thing cheaper than developing a car yourself, and that is stealing one from another brand.
Attitude II
Dodge kept this idea going for a healthy number of years. We’re not entirely familiar with the Mexican car market, but selling two generations of a car from 2006 to 2014 often means it was worth it. That second generation was still a Hyundai Accent, by the way, if not a mildly updated version.
Third Attitude
The third time a Dodge Attitude came, there was actually money for a Dodge grille. The rest of the car was based on a Mitsubishi Attrage, a sedan version of what we call the Space Star. A car that is not known for being an expensive car and also for Dodge it was a rather basic model. However, Mexico again liked the sedan and the Attitude lasted quite a long time.
Attempt four
Now, somewhat quietly, the fourth generation Dodge Attitude is announced. Two things stand out. First, it’s not a bad car at all. And second, it doesn’t look like anything we know anymore. Has Dodge finally hired a designer for their budget cars? Unfortunately, no.
Dodge is repeating a trick they’ve done before. The latest Dodge Attitude is a rebadge of a Chinese car. A Trumpchi Empow, to be exact. That doesn’t tell us much, but in China it’s a mid-range sedan. Unknown enough to be sold somewhat incognito in Mexico, and yet a tried and tested recipe. And even though the design looks a bit ‘generic’, it’s actually quite a sleek sedan.
The information and images are somewhat limited, because they have to come from Dodge’s Mexican website. The new Dodge Attitude benefits from the entire technical basis of the Empow, including the interior and the engine. That is a 168 hp 1.5 liter turbo engine. You can of course choose from a few equipment levels, including a real GT version with spoiler!
The Dodge Attitude looks a bit neater than the previous rebadges, although it is of course as American as a Chinese takeaway. And the cost of all that beauty? Converted to around 19,000 euros. That’s why.
Comments
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foammouth3 say
including bpm and china highschool bully tax will it cost 50,000 euros here?
