Dodge Boss Opens Door for Affordable, Entry-Level Sports Car
Here’s a question. What’s missing from the Dodge lineup right now? A lot of folks sure would like to have more selection and lower prices. Over the past several years, the brand has sacrificed a handful of models that didn’t fit with its obsession for power and performance, like the Journey and Grand Caravan, but if it hopes to survive, it’s going to need more than the expensive Hornet, the super-old Durango and the all-new Charger Daytona electric muscle car.
Speaking of which, non-HEMI, gas-powered Chargers are coming later in 2025. Will that be enough? Hardly. If you ask Dodge CEO Matt McAlear, an affordable sports car and a new flagship would be welcome additions.
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"Is there a need? I don't know if there's a need. Is there a want, a desire, and a market? I think yeah,” he recently told The Drive in an interview. “I think there's a market for two things. There's a market for an entry-level halo and a top-of-the-line halo."
While the return of an exclusive sports car similar to the late Viper has fuelled rumours for a long time, we’re frankly more interested in the first option, and we bet a larger number of potential customers would be, too. In McAlear’s mind, a cheap yet pure sports car that’s fun to drive—say, kind of like the Toyota GR 86, Subaru BRZ and Mazda MX-5—would make sense.
"I think there's some kind of entry-level, back to that sub-$30,000 (USD) mark,” he added. “I think there's a market for people who just want to have that weekend car again, who would like a Viper, but don't have that $100K or $120K. Something that doesn't need all the safety features, doesn't need the heated seats. Just a car.”
The failure that was the Dodge Dart (2013-2016), a small sedan with no more than 184 horsepower under the hood, should be a reminder not to get too excited, too soon. As for the long-gone SRT-4 (2003-2005) and Caliber SRT-4 (2008-2009) packing 230 and 285 horsepower, respectively, that was a completely different time.
The main takeaway from McAlear’s comments is that he knows the company has to do a better job of making its vehicles affordable for the masses. Incidentally, the cheapest Dodge in Canada at the moment is the 2025 Hornet GT crossover, which starts at an all-inclusive price of $43,790.
