Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 29

* DECEMBER 2023
29
* 2010: Production of the next-generation
Charger and Challenger
on the LD platform.
* 2011: Second-generation
Chrysler 300 begins rolling off
the line.
* 2023: Final day of 300, Charger
and Challenger production
is Dec. 22.
* 2014: Production of the
Challenger SRT Hellcat begins;
it's the first use of the 707-horsepower
supercharged 6.2-litre V-8.
* 2017: Challenger SRT Demon
- with up to 840 horsepower -
added for the 2018 model year.
* 2024: Factory retooling scheduled
to begin, clearing path for production
on the STLA Medium architecture.
*
2025: Production of the Jeep
Compass expected to begin in
the third quarter.
years of muscle memories
they will say it's a fantastic new
Chrysler, " he said.
After nearly 20 years of the
300, Charger and Challenger, the
Brampton plant will be down for
up to two years for retooling.
The final Chrysler 300C to roll off the Brampton Assembly line -
Velvet Red with 485 horsepower - was announced by Stellantis
on Dec. 9. Once the last of the rear-wheel-drive LD platform
vehicles wraps up in December, the plant will be retooled to build
the redesigned Jeep Compass. FILE PHOTO
The Dodge Challenger is " just a fun canvas to play with, "
Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles said. " I can't tell
you how many hoods we've done for that vehicle, and fascia
and wheels and all kinds of derivative models in terms of
buzz models that have caught on and really have their own
subculture that supports them. " PHOTO: STELLANTIS
would be ready to build in early
2008. With just 22 months elapsing
between the official go-ahead
and production, the Challenger
remains one of the " fastest-to-production
cars ever, " he said.
The arrival of the Challenger
did have one casualty. It
marked the end of the line for
the Magnum. That vital assembly
space was reallocated to the
coupe.
The Charger, Challenger and
300 lineup has been constant over
the years, but the vehicles - the
Challenger in particular - have
continued to evolve.
AGING BUT ALWAYS FRESH
" It's just a fun canvas to play
with, " Gilles said. " I can't tell
you how many hoods we've done
for that vehicle, and fascia and
wheels and all kinds of derivative
models in terms of buzz models
that have caught on and really
have their own subculture that
supports them. "
The Challenger started off in
2008 with a 425-horsepower 6.1litre
Hemi V-8, and in 2023 it
topped out at 1,025 horsepower in
the SRT Demon 170.
And while the exteriors are
still recognizable, the technology
and interiors have evolved
dramatically, Gilles said. The
Charger was one of the first vehicles
to include a touchscreen infotainment
system, for instance,
while designers have upgraded
When production of the
Chrysler 300 and the Dodge
Charger and Challenger end
at Brampton Assembly in
December, it will also be the
end of the line for the Hemi
V-8 engine. FILE PHOTO
materials inside to reflect the premium
nature of certain variants.
Ultimately, it's a " study in
life-cycle management, " Gilles
said. " We really did never let the
car [die]. As a matter of fact, the
sales prove it. The Challenger
in particular has never really
decayed in sales; [it] has been
steady for a long time.
" Even through the downturns
in the economy, the Challenger
has actually sustained great
sales, so it seems to be a reward
vehicle for people but also an elixir
at the same time. "
The muscle cars, as well as
the Hemi V-8, will bid farewell
to Brampton, but the programs
won't be going far.
The performance ride
might be over at Brampton
Assembly, but Stellantis has
said the next generation of muscle
cars will be built at the Windsor
Assembly Plant, about 350 kilometres
west. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT
Banshee concept, unveiled in November,
hints at an electric performance future.
PHOTO: STELLANTIS
Stellantis has yet to officially
assign specific nameplates
but has said the next-generation
Dodge muscle cars will be built
at the Windsor Assembly Plant,
about 350 kilometres away.
MUSCLE FOR THE FUTURE
A " very dedicated team of
engineers are working on " transitioning
them to the EV era " as we
speak, " Gilles said.
The Dodge Charger Daytona
SRT Banshee concept, introduced
in 2022, is a " good bellwether "
for where the team is headed, he
said. And that goes for the twodoor
design as well.
Unlike the four-door version
produced at Brampton, Gilles
hinted that the market should
count on a two-door model throwing
back to the original Charger
of the late 1960s and early '70s.
" That is a big grand experiment, "
he said. " For me it's a bit
of a correction to say you've been
asking for this car for 40 years
now, so let's see what happens. "
A replacement for the
Challenger has not been mentioned
and a successor to the 300,
meantime, will likely be spiritual.
Gilles provided no details
about what Chrysler plans to roll
out, but said a new vehicle is on
deck.
" I don't think people are going
to say it's a new 300 per se, but
WHAT'S NEXT FOR BRAMPTON?
In the spring of 2022, Stellantis
pledged to transition the plant
to build electrified vehicles, ending
months of uncertainty about
Brampton as production of the
three cars comes to an end.
" That put ease in our members
because we didn't know what
was going on, and now, we have a
clear path, " said Unifor's Beato.
The two-year timeline will be
a long haul for members, he said.
But given the rapid progress of
some other recent EV retooling
projects - namely the short turnaround
of General Motors' CAMI
Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ont.
- the union is optimistic that
Stellantis will be able to reduce
the downtime.
The Brampton plant is slated
to build the new Jeep Compass
crossover in both gasoline and
battery-electric variants when it
reopens in late 2025. Among other
improvements, the plant will
have a new paint shop, tandem
stamping lines and new bodyin-white
and underbody spaces,
Beato said.
Members have logged some
" historic memories " over the
past 20 years, he said. But with
plenty of fans of the Jeep brand
on the line, excitement is building
for the new era.
" This new retool and transition
for our plant into the EV
future will support our members
and their families for generations
to come as well. " - ANC
Automotive News Canada - December 2023

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