Will Dodge's marketing push in Japan work?

The Japanese sure do love all things American, so it only makes sense that possibly the most stereotypically American automotive brand, Dodge, would do well in the Land of the Rising Sun. But since Chrysler pulled out of Japan back in 2002, its been up to independent importers to keep the brand alive there. Now Dodge will roar back onto Japanese streets with full manufacturer backing.

Japanese car shoppers can choose between the Caliber, Nitro, Avenger and the tire-shredding Charger SRT8. While we can see the appeal of the Nitro and Charger, the Caliber and Avenger are up against some tough homegrown competition over there. Dodge knows it, too, with DaimlerChrysler Japan CEO and President Hans Tempel declining to give specific sales targets for any of the cars.

The Nitro and Charger (especially the Charger) are iconic American steel, with masculine features and, in the case of the SRT8, over-the-top horsepower. So, yeah, despite a $26K starting price on the Nitro and a $52k tag on the Charger, they should be at least moderate successes. The Caliber starts at a relatively cheap $21k but isn't bringing much but odd styling to the game (not necessarily a bad thing in Japan), while the Avenger at a minimum $33k doesn't even have that going for it.

[Source: Auto Observer]