Chrysler 300 And Dodge Durango Are Living On Borrowed Time

Chrysler has been positioning itself as a 'people mover' brand for years now, with the Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager making up the majority of its sales. This move has left the Chrysler 300 as the brand's only sedan. We already know that the 2022 model will shed many of its popular options, which is a clear hint that this modern icon's career is coming to an end. No, a report from Automotive News suggests this could happen as soon as 2023. The report also mentions another popular model from the Stellantis stable that could get the chop soon: the Dodge Durango.

The Chrysler 300 currently remains on the official lineup, but sales have seen a significant drop in the past four years: in 2017 Chrysler sold 51,237 units, but that figure dropped down to 29,213 units in 2019, and that's before the pandemic and semiconductor chip shortage hit with full force. In 2020 only 16,653 of these cars sold, and in the first two quarters of 2021, sales stand at 11,062.

What is more surprising is the fact that the popular Dodge Durango might not be around in 2024. This crossover SUV has been around for a decade and has seen regular updates that have kept it competitive despite new competitors entering the scene.

The Dodge Durango got a big image boost in 2021 when Dodge introduced the Durango SRT Hellcat, which features a top speed of 180 mph, but unfortunately, the Hellcat wasn't carried past the 2021 model year. Dodge seems to be more interested in working on an all-electric muscle car. A new Dodge-branded PHEV crossover is reportedly coming in 2022, and further rumors have suggested the model might be a 2023 Dodge Hornet.

At least the Durango gets standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert for the 2022 model year, something the Chrysler 300 can't say. We fully agree that it's time for the 300 to go, but when it comes to the Durango, we think there's still some life left in it.