How Matt McAlear Is Positioning Dodge for the Future

Dodge is doubling down on performance, brand identity, and dealer engagement as it navigates electrification and market uncertainty. On this episode of Inside Automotive, Matt McAlear concludes a three-part series by outlining how the brand is positioning itself for the future while staying true to its roots.

McAlear explains how Dodge is building on its muscle car legacy with next-generation vehicles that expand performance capabilities and appeal to a broader audience. He also addresses the impact of tariffs on production and pricing, the importance of dealer engagement, and how Dodge’s passionate customer community helps shape product strategy.

As new models arrive in showrooms, the focus remains on delivering best-in-class performance, strengthening dealer confidence, and maintaining a distinct identity in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape.

Discussion points include:

•  Reinforcing Dodge’s identity as a performance-first brand 
•  Expanding next-generation vehicles beyond traditional muscle car benchmarks 
•  Leveraging customer community feedback to guide product strategy 
•  Tariff impacts on production, pricing, and supply chain decisions 
•  Dealer engagement through hands-on product experience 
•  Positioning Dodge for multi-generational consumer appeal

Inside Automotive with Jim Fitzpatrick is powered by CBT News, your go-to source for the latest news, trends, and insights in retail automotive. Subscribe for more interviews with top industry leaders, dealership innovators, and experts shaping the future of automotive.

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Transcript

Welcome And Conversation Setup

Jim Fitzpatrick 0:10

Hey everyone, Jim Fitzpatrick with CBT News. Thanks for joining us this morning. I recently sat down with Matt McElair, CEO of Dodge. We discussed how the brand is adapting to industry-wide challenges like tariffs, electrification, and the ever-changing expectations of consumers. Here's the conclusion of our three-part conversation. Take a look. What do you think Dodge does particularly well right now that positions it for success in the next chapter?

SPEAKER_00 0:39

I think the one thing that sets us apart is uh we lean all in on um what makes us different and what sets us apart. Um we own it. Uh we owned it for the last uh decade. When we looked at the the last generation of muscle cars, um, you know, at one point before we started uh, you know, really standing behind horsepower and and going straight line performance on the drag strip, uh we didn't win. We were bigger, we were wider, we were heavier, we uh we couldn't compete from a power to weight ratio, we couldn't compete on the tracks. Uh we leaned all in on what separated Dodge from the rest of the vehicles in the the performance industry. And that was that was uh you know supercharged Hellcat engines. And if you look at today, we're we're launching a generation of cars that outperforms those vehicles, yet offers more. And I think that's where we are in the standpoint of we know what we have, we own it, we lean in, and we love telling that story. Sure. And and we love telling that story one test drive at a time, one experience at a time, one throw ride at a time, and changing perception. Uh it doesn't happen quickly, it doesn't happen overnight, right? Uh, but it happens uh one test drive at a time.

Jim Fitzpatrick 1:59

Sure. Dodge has one of the most uh loyal fan bases, as you know, in the business. How important is that community as you think about the future of the brand?

SPEAKER_00 2:09

You know, it we do. We call it the Brotherhood, we call it the sisterhood. We uh they're vocal. Um, we love that. Uh we have we pride ourselves on, you know, relatively being a smaller brand in the in the global scheme of things, but the social engagement that we um attract, and that's people that on every single social post, uh whether it's a new uh launch campaign or if it's a new image or if it's a a new trim, uh the people that comment, share, like, engage with the brand is uh outperforms brands that sell 10 times the volume we do. So we love that passionate fan base. Um we we read all of them, we listen to all of them. Uh they check, keep us in check. They let us know exactly what they want. And uh a lot of times um, you know, we're working on things that uh they don't realize are coming yet. And it's hard for us to keep some of that enthusiasm back because we're like, you know, we hear you. We can't tell you how much we hear you because we've got that thing in the works. Um, but uh it does. It's it's nice to be, I'd rather be part of the conversation, uh, even if it's negative, than not being in the conversation at all. Sure. And I think that's where uh having a fan base like that and a brotherhood and a sisterhood that um aren't afraid to speak their opinions, it's a lot of fun.

Tariffs And Pricing Complexity

Jim Fitzpatrick 3:30

Sure, sure. Switching gears a little bit, talk talk to us about uh you know the president's tariffs. Obviously, it's front page news right now uh because of the the recent ruling from the uh Supreme Court, but but it's not the same in the auto industry as we know. Um having said that though, has has the has the Dodge brand and the Stellanus brands benefited, do you think, from those consumers that say, hey, I I don't want to pay you know a big tariff. I'm gonna buy American. Maybe I was driving an import before, I'm gonna go back or I'm gonna go to a a domestic brand like Dodge or or Chrysler or others. Where is that part of the the thinking of you know when you all get together to say, look, we're dealing with these tariffs, and you know, maybe maybe this is an opportunity for us.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Yeah, tariffs are absolutely uh you know top of mind. Um, you know, we're we're always looking at uh how we can deliver the most affordable vehicle to our consumers and and our customers. And you know, tariffs play a part of that, uh, but it's all it's it's only a small part and the packaging and the positioning and some of the different value that we can build into vehicles. Um you know, we we have manufacturing uh facilities throughout North America that uh you know deliver vehicles to our showroom floors. Uh the new charger is built in Windsor, Ontario, uh right across the border from Detroit in Canada. So, you know, we deal with uh tariffs on that vehicle that are different than the tariffs on the the Durango that we build uh in Detroit at the Jefferson Assembly Plant. Uh but the tariffs are you know I'm not only just the the vehicle and where it's manufactured, but also a lot of the parts that go into the vehicles. So it's uh extremely complex that we're constantly working to optimize so that we can continue to deliver uh you know packages and prices for our consumers that make sense, that are competitive in the in the marketplace.

Five-Year Vision For Dodge

Jim Fitzpatrick 5:26

Yeah, for sure. If we fast forward five years, what do you hope people are saying about the Dodge brand that they might not be saying today?

SPEAKER_00 5:35

You know, I think if we if uh we have our ways, it'll the first thing that comes to mind is America's performance brand. And that's what uh our focus is, that's where we continue to push. And um regardless of what vehicles we bring to market, they have to have best in-class performance claims. We're not going after uh off-road capability or cargo capacity or towing capability. We're going after performance. And I think if we're recognized that we we push boundaries, we push limits, uh, we lean all in, and people know exactly who we are and who we aren't. And then we have a lineup that uh, as you said, appeals to everybody from Gen Z to baby boomers and in between uh at price points that are competitive and offer value in every segment, that's where we'll win.

Jim Fitzpatrick 6:31

Um, as we close out the segment, I appreciate all the time that you've given us, uh, really do, but uh what is the message that you'd like to leave with the dealer body out there? Obviously, our our audience is really made up of dealer principals, general managers, managers that are running dealerships um across the country. What message do you want to leave them with about the Dodge brand moving forward?

SPEAKER_00 6:54

You know, I think uh one of the dealers said about that. I talked to an NADA, and that's Dodge is back. Uh, you know, we had a year of transition between the outgoing Charger and Challenger uh muscle cars of yesterday to the future. And uh the future is now, it's showing up on showroom floors. Uh get excited about it. There's so much more coming that hasn't hit your stores yet that you're gonna be seeing in the next couple weeks. Uh, engage your sales teams, engage your service teams, uh, engage your customers that are coming back. Uh, seeing is believing. Um, you know, not necessarily reading about these things and prejudging uh what performance is, but experiencing it, driving it, putting your salespeople in it to take them home for uh a night every week so that they can become believers and adopters of what we've got here. Because it's won five North American Car of the Year awards between uh um the 50 automotive journalists in the US and Canada to the top gear U.S. Car of the Year, Detroit Free Press Car of the Year, to Detroit News Car of the Year, Motor Week Car of the Year. Uh I mean, these are incredible awards that don't happen for a commoditized Me Too product. These this car stands out. The journalists recognize it. And uh now that they're showing up on showroom floors, it's time to let consumers recognize it.

Jim Fitzpatrick 8:10

Sure, sure. You heard it here first, folks, right? Right uh from the horse's mouth. Matt McAleer, Chief Executive Officer of Dodge. Thank you so much for spending so much time with us here at CBT News. Very much appreciate it. Love to do a follow-up with you to see how the brand's moving along.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

Sounds great. I appreciate it.

Wrap-Up And Where To Watch More

Jim Fitzpatrick 8:27

Great, thanks so much. We'd like to thank Dodge CEO Matt McAleer for joining us here at CBT News. In case you missed them, part one and part two of my discussion with Matt are available right here at CBTnews.com. Thanks so much for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Thanks for watching Inside Automotive with Jim Fitzpatrick.