The New Dodge Attitude Is Actually a Chinese Car

Wait, what the heck is a Dodge Attitude? It’s a fascinating case of rebadging. The small sedan has been on sale in Mexico since 2006, initially based on the Hyundai Accent. In the mid-2010s, it morphed into a Mitsubishi Mirage. Fast forward to 2024, it’s now a Chinese car. Specifically, the fourth-generation model is based on Trumpchi Empow, which GAC has been selling for several years.

You’ll have to excuse us for sharing these grainy images but that’s all that we could find on Dodge Mexico’s website. There isn’t a press release out yet, nor are there media assets, so we simply took screenshots from the company’s site like it’s 1998. The design is not what we’d call fresh, and not just because of the Chinese connection. If you’re thinking the front kind of looks like an Audi, you’re not alone. We’re also getting some Hyundai and Kia vibes here and there. At the back, those taillights scream Fisker Karma.

The version fitted with a rear wing is the range-topping GT with black 18-inch wheels and more standard equipment. It has niceties such as a massaging driver’s seat, blind spot detection, and an electrically adjustable front passenger seat. Dodge sells the Attitude GT with a choice between a black or a black and red interior featuring a wireless charging pad and other goodies.

Although the “GT” badge typically implies some extra performance, the hot version gets the same 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine as the lesser ones. It’s making “unmatched Dodge power,” which is marketing jargon for a modest 168 hp and 184 lb-ft. This has to be one of the lowest-powered cars to have a quad exhaust. Output is channeled to the front axle via a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The more desirable GT model costs the equivalent of $25,800, which seems fairly reasonable by 2024 standards. You can buy an Attitude in Mexico for as low as $21,100 by sticking to the base SXT trim. Alternatively, the midrange Sport costs $24,000.

Dodge hasn’t been selling a compact sedan in the United States since the last Dart rolled off the assembly line at the Belvidere factory in September 2016. However, the Dart still appeared in the sales charts last year with three units.

The Attitude isn’t the only Chinese Dodge sold in Mexico as the local-market Journey is basically a second-generation Trumpchi GS5.

Earlier this year, we saw another American brand part of Stellantis launch a rebadged vehicle outside of the US. Also for Mexico, the Ram 1200 is tied to the Peugeot Landtrek and Fiat Titano, with all three tracing their roots in China where Changan Automobile launched the Kaicene F70 in 2019. We mustn’t omit the Ram 700, a smaller pickup for the Mexican market serving as a rebadged Fiat Strada.

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