Meet the Dodge Attitude, The Adorable Baby Charger Americans Can't Buy

Suzuki, for example, told the US domestic market to "sod off" over a decade ago. Not so in Mexico. They even got the new Swift while the Americans got to see. But that's not all that Mexican folks can buy that Americans can't. Say hello to the Dodge Attitude. A family economy car that looks like a baby Charger on top but is all Mitsubishi underneath.

That's right, folks. This little Dodge is actually a Mitsubishi Mirage G4, otherwise known as the Attrage in Asian markets. The only difference between them is a thin veneer of Chrysler tinsel. The Attitude's existed in this configuration since the 2015 model year. Before this, it was based upon the 2006 to 2011 MC Hyundai Accent and then the next generation RB Accent from 2011 to 2014. In short, the Attitude is Chrysler's attempt to provide a cheap four-door sedan in non-U.S. markets without having to design an all-new platform.

It's almost impossible not to find parallels between the Charger and the Attitude four-door sedans. It's as if the Attitude began as a Charger that was thrown through Photoshop to be smaller and lighter. Both don the iconic Dodge cross-hair front grille, and both are the last modern cars to feature flip-up door handles. Rest assured, the Attitude has about as much to do with the Charger mechanically as the current Charger iteration did with its 60's forbearer. Meaning, of course, approximately nothing at all.

But is the Attitude at least a decent family car on its own? The Mitsubishi Mirage platform the Attitude is based upon is at least warmly received by their owners. Even if auto journalists and enthusiasts alike laud it as everything from slow or underpowered to a complete piece of junk. Just go check out Doug DeMuro's thrashing of a 2016 Mirage if you want a classic case in point. It's pretty hilarious. We have to admit.

Even so, the Mirage and the Attitude by association has at least seen a fairly significant bump in standard features in the last few years. Options like touch-screen infotainment and navigation screen, Bluetooth, and a backup camera were all once extras on this model. Not so anymore. Now, it's all standard equipment. Such a small, light car may not be suited for long highway pulls down American interstates. But it can at least do it serviceably. Its primary role as an in-town runabout is one it's much happier to serve.

All on account of the positively phenomenal fuel economy you're liable to achieve in one of these. Anywhere from 39 to 42 miles per gallon, depending on whether you're driving a five-speed manual or the CVT automatic transmission. It's also thanks in no small part to the underpowered but undeniably strong 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine found under the hood of Mirages and Dodge Attitudes. 78 horsepower is all you're going to wrangle out of this little three-pot. But in a car less than 3,000 pounds (2,1360 kg) in weight, it's sure to get you at least where you need to go without having to take the bus.

For around 224,900 Mexican Pesos ($10,849) for the most basic stick shift, consumers in Mexico will be able to buy themselves a brand new car with all the bells and whistles new car owners can't live without. Over 85,000 Dodge Attitudes have been sold since 2015, so it must not be all that awful. It sure beats a comedically unsafe motor scooter.

It brings transportation to people who may otherwise have had to ride a motor scooter or some public transit system to get around. So before you go off calling the Attitude a pathetic piece of garbage, consider you're not their target audience. The people who own them are delighted as can be to own one.