The Volaré/Aspen were discontinued following the 1980 model year prior to the introduction of the front-wheel-drive Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries, known collectively as K-cars.

They were together named Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1976, and they were noted by Consumer Reports magazine for their modern design and good performance.

The testing led designers to soften the front end contours and remove roof-drip moldings, and at the same time improve internal airflow ducting.

[2] Body engineering for the Volaré/Aspen implemented computer-aided design and clear plastic stress models to reveal stress points in the design phase before any sheet metal was formed, to reduce weight and improve fuel economy by using thinner glass, lighter side door beams, and high-strength/low alloy steel (HSLA) — four times as strong as conventional mild steel.

[2] The new torsion bar system, though not geometrically as favorable as its predecessor, saved space and weight[2] — as was marketed as giving a "big car ride" with a softer, fore-and-aft compliance.

This allowed the wheels to move rearward, instead of straight up and down, when the tires encountered an object, thereby dampening the blow and "rolling with" the bump rather than resisting it.

These components were attached to a K-shaped structural cross member, which itself was isolated from the unitized car body by four rubber mounts.

However, this leaf spring arrangement was also rubber-isolated, which eliminated a metal-to-metal path through which road noise or vibration could be transmitted to the body.

Several 1976 Dodge Aspen sedans served as test vehicles for a gas turbine engine installation, in a project sponsored by the United States Department of Energy.

[5] "Aspen is a very pleasant name", Schirmer said, "people think of the outdoors, but not necessarily skiing when they hear it ... it won't inhibit where we want to position the car because it's basically neutral.

As replacements for the venerable Plymouth Valiant and Dodge Dart, the Volaré/Aspen twins shared the same engine and transmission choices and three-box body style with their predecessors, but not much else.

Their interiors were completely identical and lacked any kind of branding or differentiation as it was not possible to tell from inside the car whether it was a Volaré or an Aspen.

Coupes featured frameless door glass but—likely to improve rollover safety—a thick "B" pillar was used, replacing the popular hardtop body style of the Valiant and Dart.

The "performance" packages (Road Runner for the Volaré, R/T for the Aspen) were available only on two-door models; they featured mostly trim items and heavy duty suspension systems.

The standard 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-six engine was supplemented by an optional "Super Six" version that employed a two-barrel carburetor; this setup had previously been available in Australian and Latin American markets roughly ten years prior.

For their third production year, the Volaré and Aspen received their first visual update in the form of new front grille and fascia treatments.

The appearance was altered drastically from a standard Aspen/ Volare by adding Matte Black finishes on the entire hood, top of fenders, half the roof, both bumpers and misc.

All Dodge Aspen versions were Sable Tan Sunfire Metallic (a rich Dark Brown) with orange, blue and yellow stripes to separate Body color from the Black.

Volaré versions were all painted Crimson Sunfire Metallic (a Maroon/Red) with its own special three-color stripes in Yellow, Orange and Red separating the body color from the Black.

[citation needed] For its final year of production, and at the insistence of Lee Iacocca, the Volaré and Aspen were restyled.

The Plymouth Volaré Road Runner and the Dodge Aspen R/T coupes were the "performance" trim levels of the Volaré/Aspen models.

[2] Top-trim Volaré Premier and Aspen SE station wagon models featured simulated woodgrain on its exterior side panels.

They used Chrysler Turbo II 2.2 L engines and three-speed automatic transmissions (arm shifter on the steering columns, like U.S. patrol cars).

[citation needed] It is possible that much of the product-defect difficulty with the Volaré/Aspen models could have been avoided if Chrysler Corporation had taken more time to fully develop the cars before offering them to the market, but in an effort to boost sales and get a badly needed infusion of cash, Chrysler Corporation launched the Volaré/Aspen models as quickly as possible.

[citation needed] This reputation for poor-build quality led to a decline in sales[23] as the Volaré/Aspen twins became the most-recalled automobile models to that date.

[13] However, a new class of the F-platform emerged as the M-Body vehicles that included the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury four-door sedans, which were very similar in structure, size, and engineering with the Aspen and Volaré.