—What is the status of Dodge in Mexico so far in 2021?
—At the end of October, the brand had a growth of 12% compared to last year. It must be remembered that in 2020 we had 3 more products that unfortunately have left the line which are Neon, the previous Journey and Grand Caravan. This year for the first 10 months the firm has only had the muscle car part, Durango and Attitude, which has performed very well with a 20% growth compared to last year. The Dodge Durango since its last update was launched at the end of 2020 as model year 2021, has performed very well with a growth of almost 75%, and the muscle car is quite “flat” with respect to 2020, especially very affected by the microchip situation that we have today in the automotive industry.
—What is your expectation for Dodge in 2021 a few months after the end of the year?
—By the end of the year, what we are waiting for is to consolidate this growth with the arrival of the new Journey, which will be the main product of the brand in this last quarter but also from 2022, which will allow us to further enhance growth .
– How does the lack of microprocessors affect the arrival of Journey?
—The availability of microprocessors will be an issue to observe for the entire industry because it is not only a matter of having them to manufacture cars, but all that tension in the supply chain is also affecting suppliers that cannot build parts, that cannot They have chips and that affect them in their production plans.
We also have a lot of tension in the logistics chain due to the lack of parts of Asia, Latin America and even Europe due to Covid restrictions. Let’s say the entire supply chain is under extreme stress. With Journey we have at the moment a very positive manufacturing situation according to plan, but we are not devoid of tomorrow having a complex situation like the rest of the competitors and the rest of the products of the Stellantis Group itself.
—Journey is a product originating from China and from the GAC group, what is the level of confidence of the brand in this model?
—The new Journey is manufactured in China by our business partner that makes the Jeep, which is showing you that if the Stellantis Group places its trust in one of the most awarded groups in China, for the manufacture and construction of these cars It is because it meets all the necessary quality requirements and that is why we are more than convinced of the quality level of the products that we are going to launch. Today we have a large part of the suppliers that help us build important elements of the cars, today those suppliers are fully integrated into the manufacture of the new Journey.
So it is a product that respects all safety, quality standards and processes, like any other product, whether it comes from the United States, China, Latin America. We are confident in the first place, in the second we have that world-class supply and in third we are talking about a car that is a success in quality in the Asian market, a product certified with 5 stars in NCAP studies, it is a product that It is top 5 quality by JD Power, in a market like the United States that sells 1.5 million units per month.
—What were the values of the previous model that you paid attention to in order to adapt them to the current one?
—In an analysis we made of the main reasons for purchasing families in the segment and we found that among the main attributes are space and comfort, and Journey presents one of the main proposals in these areas as well as quality of assembly and materials, as well as design focused on providing simplicity in the lines, a very important space as well as a well-being that today none of our competitors is able to provide.
—What is the guarantee that Journey owners can access?
—The brand’s standard warranty coverage of 3 years or 60 thousand kilometers, together with Mopar vehicle protection that extends to 6 years or 120 thousand kilometers, show the commitment of Dodge and Stellantis to ensure the peace of mind and coverage of their products to customers who purchase them.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx