Dodge May Revive the Stealth As An SUV To Replace the Aging Durango

by Chris Teague

Published: September 18th, 2024

dodge may revive the stealth as an suv to replace the aging durango

Everyone bellyaching about wanting a return of the Mitsubishi 3000GT or Dodge Stealth may get what they want, but not how they want it. Recent reports suggest that the Stealth nameplate could return, though it won’t be on a sleek sports coupe. Dodge is reportedly planning to revive the Stealth as an SUV replacement for the Durango in 2027, dashing hopes of a more exciting vehicle.

Sam Fiorani from AutoForecast Solutions told Automotive News Canada that Dodge would roll out the Stealth after the Durango’s expected departure in 2027. The SUV will be built at the automaker’s plant in Windsor, Ontario. The move comes after the UAW accused Stellantis of planning to move Durango production out of the United States.

Matt McAlear, Dodge’s CEO, would not confirm future vehicle launches, saying that any new models would have to be “done in the Dodge manner.” It would also likely need to take steps to differentiate itself from the massive number of competing vehicles, and Dodge’s most recent release of the Hornet shows that a reliance on badge engineering doesn’t always get the best results, despite the fact that the automaker advertises it as the most powerful vehicle in its class.

Using the Stealth name on any vehicle brings lofty expectations for performance and styling, so the potential SUV has a lot to live up to. The last car to wear that name sported modest specs by today’s standards, but its all-wheel drive and sleek proportions have kept enthusiasts interested since its departure after the 1996 model year.

[Images: Dodge]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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3 of 32 comments

Teddyc73 on Sep 19, 2024
First of all, 2027?!? Dodge needs vehicles now! Second, this is something American companies do and it's so ridiculous. They have a name that's been around for years which has grown considerable name recognition and then they suddenly discontinue it for a new vehicle with a new name. Chrysler did this only a few years ago with the Town & Country. Dodge flushed the Caravan name down the drain, now Durango. It makes no sense. While I would never buy an Asian car at least they stick with their product names. Honda will never dump the Accord name and rename their midsize sedan something else for example.

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- Lorenzo on Sep 19, 2024
  Dodge HAS vehicles, they're overpriced and not selling Dealer lots are stuffed! Oh! You mean other than SUVs? Like commuter models, compacts, family sedans, sport coupes? The margins are too low, and they can't jack up prices like they can for SUVs and trucks (which used to sell for less than sedans).
  
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Joe65688619 on Sep 20, 2024
Stealth: "cautious and surreptitious action or movement." Yeah, let's put that on a three-ton SUV. Seriously, who is running that place? How about you just modernize the Durango? Might as well call it the Dodge Chihuahua.

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