Dodge has always been a brand with attitude. So, it’s no wonder it would use that as the name of its entry-level sedan. Haven’t heard of the Dodge Attitude? Apparently you haven’t been down “South of the Border” lately. It’s a unique Latin American product and our Mexican correspondent David Loji checked it out.
This is the fourth-generation Dodge Attitude – and it grows from subcompact to compact for 2025.
So close yet so far away. The Mexican automotive market doesn’t necessarily mirror what we see in the United States. It has many unique products reflecting very different consumer demand. Among other things, there’s still solid demand for sedans, a segment where Dodge is doubling down
It’s just launched the next-generation Attitude and, as you’d expect of a performance-oriented brand, it offers a unique twist.
A little help from our friends
Stellantis – more precisely, the old Chrysler side of the company is no stranger to badge-engineering, because in the past it offered in the USA the Dodge Colt and Plymouth Arrow, both Mitsubishi products. That’s the story behind the Dodge Attitude.
The original Dodge Attitude was a rebadged version of this 2006 Hyundai Accent.
The back story: the old DaimlerChrysler de Mexico turned to Hyundai and promptly rebadged the Korean automaker’s Accent into the Verna by Dodge, launching it in November 2003 as a 2004 model.
When Hyundai redesigned the Accent, Dodge put the Verna nameplate to pasture and started to use the Attitude name on the new model in 2006. Dodge stuck with Hyundai for the next remake. But when the third-generation Attitude debuted, it was designed around the Mitsubishi Mirage imported from Thailand. The new model was downsized, turning into a subcompact which allowed Dodge to address the largest market segment in Mexico.
A new partner, a new target
By also switching to a frugal 3-cylinder the third-generation Attitude – which helped down its price tag – the little sedan proved to be a real hit for Dodge.
The cabin of the new — more upmarket — 2025 Dodge Attitude.
But it’s time for yet another big change.
The fourth-generation Dodge Attitude is just making its way into Mexican showrooms. As before, it’s not really a ground-up Dodge product. The latest version turns to another corporate “friend,” this time turning to China’s GAC Group and basing the Attitude on the Trumpchi Empow. (GAC also supplies the underpinnings for Mexico’s latest Dodge Journey.)
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A new Attitude
The 2025 Dodge Attitude also gets a larger turbo-four engine.
Once again, Dodge has had a change in Attitude. The new sedan moves upmarket and also grows back into a compact again. Think of it as what we might get were the Stellantis brand still building the Dodge Dart.
The new Attitude also gains more muscle, switching to a 1.5-liter turbo-four making 168 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.
Several versions will be offered, including the Attitude GT that seems more in line with Dodge’s muscle car DNA. While it uses the same engine, the GT adds touches including a rear wing and black 18-inch wheels.
The 2025 Dodge Attitude starts at $21,100, the midrange SXT jumping to $24,000. The top-line GT goes out the door for $25,800.
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