Dodge CEO Questions 'Is a Radio Necessary?' in Effort to Focus on Entry-Level Vehicles

      Stellantis

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      Dodge is working to pinpoint its role as its main sales vehicle disappears and V8 engines make a surprising return. The Durango has significantly compensated for sales losses. However, the accessible and affordable performance that once defined the brand is becoming less prominent. CEO Matt McAlear suggests that this could change with a “back-to-basics” strategy.

      “I believe the key thing we need to start doing is challenging the industry's expectations for an entry-level base vehicle,” McAlear told The Drive’s Joel Feder at the 2026 New York Auto Show. “And I’m not referring to cheap or lesser quality—I’m talking about a ‘back-to-the-basics’ approach. Analog gauges. Is a radio necessary? Would just having Bluetooth-connected speakers suffice?”

      “We need to move forward and perhaps make people a bit uncomfortable by offering them something they didn’t realize they wanted,” the CEO added. “I think broadly across the industry, it’s time to evolve—especially in many mainstream segments. But when it comes to brands like Dodge, we have the potential to completely disrupt a segment and introduce something unexpected. We’ve accomplished it in the past, like with the original Viper.”

      This conceptual reevaluation of what is essential in a modern vehicle is underway, but at this moment, Dodge is not leading the charge—at least not yet. The forthcoming Slate electric truck aims to reshape customers' expectations of comfort, as the base model will lack a radio and power windows, though it will include a space for a Bluetooth speaker.

      Simultaneously, automakers must navigate regulatory requirements. For instance, backup cameras are now common. Two years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enacted a rule mandating automatic emergency braking in new vehicles.

      While analog gauges might be seen as a low-tech and cost-effective option, many automakers opt for screens instead since they are less expensive than physical components and buttons. Moreover, regulations stipulate at least one in-car screen for mandatory backup camera displays.

      Dodge has had several promising ideas for an entry-level Viper over the years, such as the Copperhead, but those remained merely concepts.

      Regarding affordability, unpredictability, and the Viper, it’s worth noting that Dodge has toyed with the idea of an entry-level sports car for decades, but has never fully committed. Sure, there was the enthusiastic Neon SRT-4, and at one point, it seemed like the brand would attempt to recapture that energy with a GLH-badged Hornet. Before that, concepts like the Copperhead—a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive roadster designed for handling, featuring a truly unique design—were proposed but never realized.

      The Copperhead should have been produced. Now, 30 years later, Dodge’s emphasis is more on power than on pure enjoyment, but that doesn’t have to be the case. I would even consider one without a radio.

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