Dodge Omni
| Dodge Omni & Plymouth Horizon | |
|---|---|
1979 Horizon (left) & 1978 Omni (right) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler Corporation American Motors (1985–1987) |
| Also called | Plymouth Horizon Plymouth Expo (Canada) |
| Production | December 5, 1977 – February 2, 1990 |
| Model years | 1978–1990 |
| Assembly |
|
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Subcompact |
| Body style | 5-door hatchback |
| Layout | Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive |
| Platform | L-body |
| Related | Chrysler/Simca/Talbot Horizon Dodge Charger Dodge Omni 024 Dodge Rampage Plymouth Horizon TC3 Plymouth Scamp Plymouth Turismo Shelby GLHS |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4-speed Volkswagen manual 5-speed Chrysler manual 3-speed A404 automatic 3-speed A413 automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 99.2 in (2,520 mm) |
| Length | 163.2 in (4,145 mm) |
| Width | 66.2 in (1,681 mm) |
| Height | 53.4 in (1,356 mm) |
| Curb weight | 1978: 2,137 lb (969 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Dodge Shadow Plymouth Sundance |
The Dodge Omni is a subcompact car that was manufactured by Chrysler Corporation from the 1978 to 1990 model years. Marketed alongside the Plymouth Horizon, the Omni was the first front-wheel drive Chrysler vehicle; the pair were the first front-wheel-drive economy cars assembled in the United States.
The Omni and Horizon were developed from the Chrysler Horizon designed by Chrysler Europe, undergoing extensive modifications to meet U.S. standards. The design was heavily inspired by the Volkswagen Rabbit five-door hatchback (with early versions using Volkswagen-produced engines). Known as the Chrysler L platform, the chassis architecture used by the Omni/Horizon was also adopted by 3-door coupes and 2-door coupe-utility pickups.
Through its twelve-year production, approximately 2.5 million units of the combined model lines were sold, with the Plymouth Horizon outselling the Dodge Omni (the final Plymouth model to outsell its Dodge counterpart). For 1987, the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance hatchback sedans were introduced as a successor model line, eventually replacing the Omni/Horizon.
Chrysler produced the model line at its Belvidere Assembly Plant (Belvidere, Illinois) from 1977-1987, with production shifting to the AMC Kenosha Plant (Kenosha, Wisconsin), and ultimately the Jefferson Avenue Assembly (Detroit, Michigan); the Omni/Horizon were the final model lines produced at the latter two facilities.