Fiat-Chrysler’s dealer meeting in Las Vegas has turned up a lot of news, some of which we saw coming and some of which we didn’t. Among the drool-worthy tidbits are those pertaining to Dodge, and what’s to become of its Charger sedan and the long-rumored Barracuda. (The ’Cuda pictured here is our artist’s rendering first published in 2013, when the car was scheduled to debut as an SRT-badged model.) According to Automotive News, Alfa Romeo’s new Giulia will donate its adaptable rear-drive underpinnings to both cars, and the Barracuda will come only in convertible form. Say it with us now: Ooooo, Barracuda!
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So far, not much is known about the next-generation Charger sedan or the Barracuda beyond their link to the newest Alfa Romeo product. Automotive News reports that the Charger will borrow more from the 1999 Charger R/T concept and take on a less blocky appearance than today’s model, but the ’Cuda’s appearance remains cloaked in mystery. Critically, the new Dodges should be lighter than the current Charger four-door and (coupe-only) Challenger two-door, which use heavily fortified evolutions of a decade-old Mercedes-Benz platform.
-The Alfa Giulia is claimed to weigh just 3325 pounds, although that figure likely hews to the optimistic side of things. Either way, even factoring the possibility that the Charger would be larger (the Giulia competes with the BMW 3-series) and use fewer exotic materials, it’d surely be lighter than the current car, which weighs between 4000 and 4400 pounds depending on powertrain and equipment. No mention of the Challenger’s fate can be found in AN’s report, but we expect the two-door coupe will carry on and use Giulia bones, too.
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The even better news? We won’t have to wait long for the new Charger—which apparently was shown to the dealers in attendance in Las Vegas—or the ’Cuda. Both are expected to debut within the next two years, meaning an auto-show appearance later this year or early next year is possible.
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