In late March, Stellantis held its first dealer meeting. Often these dealer meetings are shrouded with mystery and great efforts are gone to keep all the information as quiet as possible. However, as is the case with most of these things, there was a leak on Reddit which has since been deleted detailing all the fine details of the meeting, particularly with reference to Dodge and their future plans.
One of the key revelations of this meeting was that the Durango badge was set to be retired and replaced with a name that we haven’t heard since the late nineties, the Stealth. We look to explore what Dodge plans to do with the Durango badge, what the new Stealth will look like and how it will perform, and what other new ventures are on the Horizon for Dodge.
What Can We Expect From The New Stealth Badge
The showcase of the Durango replacement concept at this dealership meeting was definitely the biggest surprise. Dodge had touched on some of their future concepts and even revealed information about some of their upcoming cars, but the Durango replacement was a pure surprise.
As mentioned, the original leaker claimed that the Stealth would take over the Durango’s role in the Dodge line-up. This means a couple of things. We can expect the car to follow the popular trend and make a mid-sized, three row crossover SUV. It is expected that the car will be built on a very similar WL platform to the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.
Another expected change will be to the powertrain, again following trends, it is reported that the Stealth will have a Hybrid powertrain (4xe) and that in the more premium models we can expect the new Hurricane inline six-cylinder turbo in some form. This does sadly mean that the new midsize crossover won’t be getting a Hemi V-8.
The Stealth could be looking to enter the market as the more accessible SUV option in the Dodge line-up and perhaps help the brand to compete with other three-row options available in and around the Durango’s current price range. Dodge has not been entirely successful in this market area in recent years and hopefully the badge revival will help to shake things up for the automaker.
Those who have a hint of nostalgia at hearing the name Stealth making its return will remember the original Stealth, which was a very different car to what we can expect from the upcoming model. The Stealth from the nineties was not a sports crossover but instead a sports coupe and was actually a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000 GT. This car was quite controversial due to it being an American car that was imported from Japan. However, it did have something somewhat familiar under the hood, a 3.0-liter twin turbo, six-cylinder engine. Sounds a lot like the new Hurricane.
Is This Goodbye To The Durango?
This question remains up in the air. We have some assurances from Dodge that the Stealth will not completely replace the Durango badge, and we know that the Durango is set to receive a 2024 model. However, the Redditor that posted the original leak claims that the Durango will be phased out entirely and that the Stealth will become Dodge’s main SUV.
The 2024 Durango is, however, set to change quite drastically from its current state. It is expected that the car will evolve and grow from its current mid-size stature into a fully blown SUV, with improvements to power, towing capacity, and interior room to come with the change. The next-gen Durango is reported to be built on a similar architecture to the Jeep Wagoneer, signaling that the brand may be wishing to compete with the likes of the Chevy Tahoe. The Hemi engine that we will be missing from the Stealth is said to remain in the Durango and continue to power the beast.
Hornet Revival And New Direction For Other Badges Also Confirmed
Whilst the Stealth was also the biggest surprise at the Stellantis show, there were definitely some other showcased vehicles that were exciting to see. It seems that Dodge is taking a new direction looking forward and that in a couple of years the cars on a Dodge dealership floor will be very different to the ones we see now.
One of the most exciting vehicles that was showcased at the event is, of course, their Daytona SRT Banshee concept. It is still unclear whether this car is going to be an EV or whether it is going to get an internal combustion engine, but nonetheless it looks beautiful, and we’re excited to learn more about it.
The new Hurricane 3.0-liter inline turbocharged engine also received some new hype, with Standard Output and High Output variations being announced for the new charger line-up. However, with both the Challenger and the Charger ending production, it's expected that this engine will feature more prominently in Dodge’s SUVs and that they will begin the transition towards EVs.
The future of dodge looks very different to the automaker we know today, but we are excited about their new range of vehicles. The Stealth has been set up phenomenally to enter the market and be a great success. With all the information we have it looks to be more than a worthy successor to the well-established Durango badge.