A couple of months ago I came across a dealer that was selling V6 Challengers for $21K, and an extra $1,500 for the AWD version.
I didn't buy one of those, so why on earth would I be interested in a homely Hornet??
You are not the targeted demographic.
Lets assume Dodge/Stellantis is actually correct and that the pricing in this segment is 35-45k sticker price.
Slashing prices to low to mid 20s should catch buyers attention if other competitors are 35k+
US buyers are big on what things cost. Seeing a 40% off sticker on a vehicle in the category they are interested in could be a chief motivator to buy that over something else.
Could also steal from those looking to buy Chevy's Trax and step up to a more premium offering for the same $$$.
This is throwing reliability etc out the window. Purely on the cost, these are priced right. Now how much is Stellantis or dealers going to lose over it? Who knows and who cares?