Did You Know That The Dodge Caliber Came Close To Being A Rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer?
If you came across a ninth-generation Mitsubishi Lancer with a crosshair grille and Dodge badges, then you would probably think that someone was into weird modifications. If such a car was, however, found in a parking lot inside Dodge premises, then we’re talking about the discovery of a never-before-seen, badge-engineered prototype.
The “Dodge Lancer” was spotted 12 years ago at a place called “lot 27” by an ex-worker at Dodge who is known on Reddit after the username @lostboyz. While he found it noteworthy and took the time to photograph it, he didn’t want to get into trouble by revealing a well-kept secret. However many years have passed since and when he rediscovered the pictures on a hard drive, he thought it would be safe to share them with the world. As he wrote on a Reddit post: “I could never find out an answer for why this existed and it eventually disappeared”. He also suggested that a hypothetical Dodge Caliber SRT4 twin of the Mitsubishi Evo X would make sense.
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The prototype looks identical to the Mitsubishi Lancer besides the front bumper that is only slightly redesigned to match Dodge’s period design language. Besides featuring the Ram’s head emblem on both ends, we can also see Dodge Caliber SXT lettering on the tailgate, and official Dodge-branded license plates making it look like it is ready for the showroom. Coincidentally, the Lancer would look compatible with Dodge’s design language from the late ’00s, especially if it had rounded fender add-ons.
So what is the story behind the secret prototype?
Rumor has it that back in 2004 Chrysler was working with Mitsubishi on a compact sedan named Rebel that would succeed the Dodge Neon. As the car was ready for its debut, the project got canceled and Dodge opted for a model with a crossover-style hatchback silhouette. As a result, the Dodge Caliber was unveiled in 2005 in concept form, with the production version following in 2006. Mitsubishi continued the development of the four-door variant, introducing the Lancer in 2007.
The fact that the two models are based on the same architecture is evident by the identical 103.7 inches (2,635 mm) wheelbase, although the exterior and interior designs are completely different. While both the Dodge Caliber and the Mitsubishi Lancer were discontinued in 2012 and 2017 respectively, their platform still lives on in the Mitsubishi Grand Lancer that is available in Asia.
What makes things more interesting is that Dodge has used the Lancer nameplate for three totally unrelated vehicles in the ’50s, the ’60s, and the ’80s. This means that in an alternate universe there might be a Dodge Lancer taking the place of the Caliber, maybe using the Mitsubishi’s five-door hatchback bodystyle.
In reality, if Dodge went down the rebadging route for its compact sedan, it could potentially save millions of dollars in R&D, design, and tooling investments. However, the automaker would risk losing market share and damaging the brand’s status compared to the independently designed proposal scenario that prevailed. We shouldn’t forget though that the short-lived Dodge Dart (2011-2016) that eventually filled the role of a compact sedan was heavily based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Not the wisest of moves, as its five-year run, and low sales, show…