Dodge Is Doing a Great Job Phasing Out the Crosshair Grille

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind) 11/16/2016 at 22:44 • Filed to: Dodge

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Look at the grill shape. The SRTs emphasize a low trapzoid rather than a split that makes the front end look like two bowls/mugs stacked up.

Ever since RAM and SRT were spun off we knew Dodge would have a hard time finding new branding. Their trademark logo was the Ram head for many years and all Dodges wore the split crosshair grille. But of course RAM took both signatures with them. Then there was the issue of Dodge being marketed as a traditional ‘Murican muscle car brand...until you noticed it’s the SRT models that really move that marketing. Dodge was in a Chrysler/Lancia style pickle. Thankfully SRT was rolled back into Dodge (Mercedes-AMG, I’m hoping you noted this), and is saving Dodge’s ass like it’s needed for a Grand Canyon Tour.

Now you may have noticed the crosshairs are still present, but the SRT front fascia is gradually working its way across the lineup. The Challenger rarely ever wore the signature grille, most of the Charger lineup avoids it, and the Durango is set to make the switch starting with the upcoming SRT version.

The Dart is done, Grand Caravan is dying, and Journey will definitely be replaced because Canada appreciates the it enough to never go their Separate Ways. Eventually, no Dodge models will carry the most well known design signature in the brand’s history and the way this is being handled should be inside a textbook. I mean serious, no one is freaking out! Contrast this to reactions over the Rebel and Laramie grilles for RAM, which may have allowed Dodge to keep the signature design had reception been warmer in the “put a steak on for them,” way instead of the “put them on the stakes” kind of way. When everything is at stake, you want to release something hot afterall.

*snort*

Nissan is trying to do something very similar with the Nismo red trim and name which is why you will notice that you need a Nismo RS model in order to get a true entry-level Nismo vehicle. But when you look at the way Dodge is handling SRT compared to Nissan with Nismo (or  BMW with M and Mercedes with AMG), you’ll see that Dodge is REALLY doing this right. So right in fact it’s seriously WAY out of character for FCA and even more out of character for Chrysler!!

Goodbye Dodge crosshairs, your departure from the brand may not be noticed in the present but it will be missed in hindsight.

*cough* Better on the trucks anyways *cough*

carcrasher88 > Wobbles the Mind 11/16/2016 at 23:00

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I highly doubt the crosshairs are going anywhere on non-SRT models. The new Neon in Mexico (which is rumored to be the Dart’s replacement) has it.

Same with the Mexican market Attitude, a rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage G4...

The only exception would be the Mexican market Vision, which simply replaces the Grand Siena’s Fiat badge with a gray one with the Dodge name on it.

Wobbles the Mind > carcrasher88 11/16/2016 at 23:07

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That Neon is a FIAT Aegea with a grille insert, which I can’t see why the US would be getting that.

facw > carcrasher88 11/16/2016 at 23:16

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Those are some impressively ugly cars.

facw > Wobbles the Mind 11/16/2016 at 23:17

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Any reason to expect we wouldn’t get it? Why design a new small car if you already have one at your disposal?

carcrasher88 > Wobbles the Mind 11/16/2016 at 23:25

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Because FCA isn’t gonna be building passenger cars in the US anymore, and the Turkish built Neon is the most likely candidate for a Dart replacement.

I mean, FCA has production facilities in Mexico, and they STILL chose to import the Neon from Turkey (remember, this is the same Tofa plant in Bursa that the Ram ProMaster City comes from).

Wobbles the Mind > facw 11/16/2016 at 23:28

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Because I thought FCA was trying NOT to build a small sedan for the US and instead have another automaker build a compact/midsize FWD sedans for them. This doesn’t really fix that problem.

Wobbles the Mind > carcrasher88 11/16/2016 at 23:39

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Just seems odd to me since it really seemed like they were wanting someone else to build those cars rather than changing where they came from. If you all feel strongly of an imported Turkish small car as a better business case for the US market than the Dart and Chrysler 200 which surprised FCA by not being wildly successful then I can’t argue with that.

BigBlock440 > Wobbles the Mind 11/17/2016 at 08:33

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Crosshairs on cars? Eh, if they’re there, fine, if they’re designed without them, that’s ok too. Crosshairs on trucks? It’s Ram’s 7-slot or kidneys, they need to stay.

carcrasher88 > Wobbles the Mind 11/17/2016 at 09:29

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Yeah, it might end up being a mix of both. Especially considering that Fiat’s 124 Spider is a different version of a Miata and is also built by Mazda.

But that’s Fiat, not Chrysler or Dodge. Still, given Dodge’s history of selling rebadged versions of other company’s cars in Mexico (remember, in the 90's and 00's, they sold a bunch of rebadged Hyundais there, along with a rebadged Nissan Versa in South America).

Heck, even now they’re selling other company’s products under their own brands. Not only is Fiat selling a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton/L200 as the Fullback in Europe, in the Middle East, it’s gonna be sold as the RAM 1200.

carcrasher88 > facw 11/17/2016 at 09:32

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I agree on the Vision, not a good looking car.

The Mirage G4 looks better than the Dodge grille added to it on the Attitude (though I still personally think the G4 looks simply plain...not good or ugly).

The Neon, on the other hand, I think looks rather handsome. Even if it looks like they mashed a Charger together with a Jetta.

jimz > Wobbles the Mind 11/23/2016 at 11:43

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consider where the “crosshair” grille concept got its start: