Are dodge and Mercedes Benz still together?
By
Vroomouk
In this blog, we find out if dodge and Mercedes Benz are still together and where their factories are located. We also take a brief look into the histories of both the companies and compare their flagship models.
Are dodge and Mercedes Benz still together?
No, Dodge and Mercedes Benz are no longer together. Mercedes Benz comes under the Daimler AD corporation and Dodge was also Merged with Daimler AG from 1998 to 2007, the two companies never really shared a connection when it came to designing cars. Mercedes Benz continued to develop their model series and no re-badging of models was done.
Today, Mercedes Benz has a much larger presence in the international market and the company still makes cars, Vans and commercial trucks, unlike Dodge which stopped Truck production in the 1970s.
Doge is an American automobile manufacturer producing sports cars and small trucks based on their cars’ platform. Dodge doesn’t have any electric cars and the company currently has only three models in production, which are the challenger charger and Durango.
The two sub-brands Dodge Ram and Dodge SRT are separated, Viper will be under the SRT company and Ram is a standalone company on its own.
Where does the production of Dodge take place?
All the production of Dodge cars happens in Detroit, America, the factory and Dodge headquarters are located in Michigan. There were few factories in Canada and Mexico that manufactured the charger, challenger and the Journey model and the spare parts are also manufactured in America.
Dodge also uses certain Mercedes Benz components like the 5-speed automatic gearbox which was compatible with the 4-wheel drive system, control units like the ESP, ECU etc. 5speed gearbox was discontinued in 2014 and it was replaced by a newly designed 8-speed automatic transmission.
Where does the production of Mercedes Benz take place?
Mercedes Benz has production factories all over the world but the main manufacturing factories are located only in Germany. Another location does not manufacture cars but only assembles from knockdown kits. The company has factories in 17 countries across 4 continents.
A Brief look at Mercedes Benz history.
In 1886, Karl Benz invented the modern-day car with the petrol engine and during the same period, Gottlieb Daimler and his business partner William Maybach were in the business of converting stagecoaches by adding petrol engines.
The Bertha Benz memorial route was established and even today it is possible to drive a total of 194km and experience the journey.
A European automobile entrepreneur Emil Jellinek first marketed the automobile by naming it after his daughter Mercedes Jellinek. 1901 Mercedes powered by a 35 brake horsepower engine became known as 1901 Mercedes.
The production of the first Branded Mercedes Benz started in 1926 when the two companies of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler merged and created the Daimler Benz company.
A Brief look into Dodge’s history
Dodge is an American Car manufacturer initially founded by the two brothers John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge in the early 1900. In its starting years, Dodge supplied automotive components to the ever-increasing automotive industries in Detroit.
IN 1914, the brothers started the production of cars under the Brand name Dodge. Dodge touring car 30-35 was the first car produced under the Dodge badge, it was a direct competitor of the Ford Model T.
Most production cars in the early 1900s used wood in the body panels like doors, roofs etc, Dodge touring cars had steel bodies. It not only produced 30-35 horsepower compared to the 20 horsepower of the Ford model but also featured a more advanced sliding gearbox. Thanks to its high power and better build quality the Dodge became number 2 in USA Sales just 2 years after starting production.
Sadly though, after the death of both brothers, the family sold the company to an investment bank and later it was bought by Chrysler in 1930. Dodge started selling Trunks and full-sized passenger cars but the oil crisis in 1973 pushed Chrysler to develop the K platform and sell midsize family cars with better fuel efficiency.
Currently, Dodge is under Fiat ownership and only produces three models. Dodge journey and grand caravan were discontinued in 2020.
What are the flagship models produced by Dodge and Mercedes Benz S Class?
The flagship models produced by Dodge and Mercedes Benz are Dodge Challenger and Mercedes Benz S Class.
- Dodge Challenger
Dodge Challenger is currently in its third generation, which started in 2008. The model was updated in the following years and offered tough competition to Ford Mustang and corvette Camaro.
Dodge Challenger is a full-sized American Muscle car and serves the demands of different types of customers compared to the Mercedes Benz S class.
The American Muscle car ideology is reflected in the number of engine options available in Dodge challenger. Its focus is on raw power and high performance, luxury and customer comfort take a back seat.
The cost of a Dodge Challenger is between 30,000 to 50,000 USD which is significantly less than the S class. But the power and acceleration offered by Challenger will give the S class a run for its money.
Dodge Challenger comes with a V 6 petrol engine producing 300 horsepower as standard. Two naturally aspirated 5.8 & 6.4 litre V 8 engines are also available which produce 375-457 horsepower. A 6.2 litre supercharged Hemi V8 engine is used in Dodge Hellcat and SRT variants which produces a massive 750 horsepower.
All the engines are mated to the standard 8-speed transmission which can send power to the rear or all wheels depending on the vehicle specification. There is no clever AIRMATIC suspension like the S class and the safety standards are considerably lower than the S class.
- Mercedes Benz S Class
Mercedes Benz S Class on the other hand focuses on comfort and luxury. There are inline 6 and v8 petrol engines making around 600 horsepower. The S class is currently in the seventh generation and has the most advanced driver assistance systems on board.
The driver assistance systems are capable of driving the s class without any inputs from the driver. S class also sets a benchmark in safety by featuring a first-in-class rear passenger airbag located on the backside of the front seats.
S class uses AIRMATIC suspension with sports and comfort modes, the suspension has active body control systems and can vary the damping rates based on the mode selected. This gives more versatility to the handling characteristics of the S class.
The S class also uses a 9-speed automatic gearbox compared to the 8-speed gearbox in the Challenger. The transfer case used in the S class is capable of 100 % torque distribution to any wheel.
Thanks to its superior built quality and a long list of features the S class outsells the ongoing Dodge Challenger.
Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in
Why does Mercedes Depreciate so fast?
Which are the Mercedes Benz Maybach models sold by Brabus?
What are the competitive advantages of Mercedes Benz in Formula 1 racing?
Conclusion
Mercedes Benz comes out as the outright winner and thanks to its large after-service network of dealerships and availability of spare parts it is easier to live with a Mercedes Benz than a Dodge. Dodge like other American Muscle cars cannot match German cars’ inbuilt quality and safety levels.. Mercedes Benz on the other hand has some of the most reliable vehicles running on the road today.
