The first all-new compact Mopar since the malaise-era K-Car, the Dodge Neon was a revelation. Its fun, approachable face, its “Hi.” marketing campaign, all of it was pitch-perfect for the uncertain times it was launched into. Now, a generation later, Stellantis faces similarly uncertain times – and a new Neon could go a long way towards helping the old Chrysler Co. do what it does best: come back from the brink.
If they wanted to, Stellantis could make it happen tomorrow.
Today, Stellantis is in trouble. Much like it was in the early 90s, the company is hemorrhaging cash, fighting with the unions, and struggling to sell higher-end cars. Today as then, what the company needs is an affordable, simple new car to get people in the showrooms – and in 1994, that new car was the Neon.
In the mid-late 1990s, the Dodge Neon was everywhere. It was affordable, fun to drive, and more or less reliable. It was also economical and fuel-efficient, but it wasn’t that way. It was sold as a fun, smiling face with funky round lights. In R/T and ACR spec, it was sold as an even more fun, smiling face, and offered serious performance chops that still get the grizzled Gen X guys at the SCCA/NASA track days excited.
Stellantis is selling a car right now, today, that meets all that criteria. It’s the right size, it’s reasonably affordable, and it’s got the right tech – available as both a PHEV and a pure EV – for its time.
It’s even got some funky round lights!
Lancia Ypsilon HF
| Spec | SOHC Neon | DOHC Neon | Hybrid Y | EV Y | HF Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2642 | 2642 | 2675 | 2675 | 2675 |
| Overall Length (mm) | 4366 | 4366 | 4080 | 4080 | 4080 |
| Engine Size (L) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | NA | NA |
| HP | 132–136 | 150 | 100 | 156 | 280 |
| TQ (lb-ft) | 129–133 | 133 | 129 | 192 | 255 |
| 0–60 mph (s) | 7.6–8.5 | 7.6 | 9.3 | 8.2 | 5.6 |
| MPG (comb.)/EV range | 28 | 28 | ~50 | 425 km | 370 km |
As you can see from the specs, above, the first-gen Neon is pretty close in terms of size and performance, with the modern Ypsilon offering significantly improved emissions, technology, and safety upgrades compared to the OG Neon, which didn’t even offer anti-lock brakes (ABS) as standard on its base or Highline models (it was standard on the Sport and, later, R/T trims).
There’s even a modern allegory for the ultra track-focused ACR version of the Neon, which shipped with its adjustable suspension, anti-sway bars, disc brakes, and close-ratio transmission. That’s the Lancia Ypsilon HF, a 280 HP sporty compact EV that made its debut last week and originally inspired this article.
Top comment by Connor Paull
Good luck convincing Dodge that they need to start selling normal cars again. They've banked hard on being the 'muscle car' company and are utterly convinced that they can sell overpriced, poorly built vehicles by exploiting that niche, so much so that they've cancelled the bread and butter models that actually sold.
The Grand Caravan and Journey, a normal minivan and crossover respectively, sold better than any current Dodge model up until the years they were cancelled.
Check out the original launch ad for the 1995 Plymouth Neon, below, and tell me they couldn’t do a shot-for-shot remake with a rebadged Ypsilon and make it immediately relevant to car buyers in 1995 in the comments.
Plymouth Neon launch commercial from 1994
Original content from Electrek.
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