A show as big as the NAIAS gives automakers a chance to create display booths that properly highlights the models they’re showcasing. Some go for the minimalist approach while others prefer to sprinkle generous amounts of bombast into their displays. Then there’s Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which went to Detroit to showcase its lineup of new models. At least that was the intent. What turned out happening, though, is that all of FCA’s models appeared to take a backseat to one model: the Dodge Challenger.

Take a look at the photos we snapped from the showroom floor. All the cars that were front-and-center at FCA’s display booth have one thing in common: they’re all Challengers. Sure, they’re different versions of the same model, but it’s still the same model. That blue Dodge Charger at the back looks so disappointed.

From our vantage point, we could see that one of those Challengers — the black one — was the SRT Demon. It figures because it has one section of the entire booth dedicated to itself. On the opposite end is a red-orange Challenger that’s sitting on its own platform with the front section slightly elevated from the ground. Care to guess what that Challenger variant is? Yes, that’s the SRT Hellcat. Sandwiched between the two high-value Challengers are two more units of the same model, though they look like standard versions of the muscle car. The grey Challenger looks like it’s a base model while the navy green model sitting right beside it appears to be dressed up in Mopar bits. Notice the lip spoiler in the front?

FCA’s design layout points to one important conclusion. The Dodge Challenger is the automaker’s most important model. It’s certainly its most glamorous one given all the attention it’s received in recent years. I’d be on board with this idea, except that the current Challenger is running on 10 years in the market. Hopefully, a fourth-generation Challenger is in the cards because it doesn’t show well for FCA to have an aging model remain as its crown jewel.

References

Dodge Challenger

Read our full review on the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody.

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