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The latest snow falls across the U.S. have prompted a flurry of commercials from automakers touting the advantages of all-wheel drive models. This one comes from Dodge and shows the new Durango, Charger and Journey, all of which are available with AWD. Nevertheless, we'd say that while power sent to four wheels instead of two does help in certain situations, one should never, ever underestimate the importance of a good set of all season or better yet, winter tires.
The Fiat Group, which currently owns a 20 per cent controlling stake in Chrysler, is planning to rebrand the Dodge Journey crossover to the Fiat Freemont in Europe, according to a report from Autoweek citing inside sources from the Italian company. The sources said the American automaker will stop selling the Journey in Europe and that the Fiat version, will get its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011 with sales set to start in June of the same year.
The styling changes over the recently refreshed Dodge Journey are believed to be kept to a minimum, however, the Freemont will get Fiat's 2.0-liter turbo diesel unit with 170HP in place of the Journey's VW-sourced 140HP 2.0-liter diesel engine.
It is reported that the Freemont will also act as a replacement to the Fiat Ulysse, which ended production this month.
According to data provided by JATA, Dodge sold some 8,400 Journeys in Europe last year. Fiat believes that the recent updates along with the more powerful diesel engine and more importantly, the Italian firm's 5,000-strong European sales network which is significantly larger than Chrysler's, will help boost sales of the 5+2 seater crossover wagon.
The Fiat Freemont will be manufactured alongside the Dodge Journey at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant.
Source: Autoweek
The Chrysler Group is recalling certain Dodge Journey crossovers and Ram trucks in three separate actions to repair defective steering wheels, airbags and noisy rear axles.
The largest of Chrysler's recalls involves 65,180 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured from November 1, 2007, through September 7, 2008. According to a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], the wires within the front door wire harnesses may fatigue and break. If this happens, the side-impact sensors may not work resulting in inoperative side airbags. Chrysler said it will replace the left and right door wiring harnesses free of charge.
The second recall affects a total of 22,274 Model Year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks to address a problem with the steering system. NHSTA said these vehicles may experience a weakening and fracture of the left ball stud on the tie rod resulting in the potential loss of steering. The Detroit automaker will fix the aforementioned issue by replacing the left outer tie rod free of charge.
Finally, the Chrysler Group is recalling 56,611 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured from September 2009 through December 2010 to fix components within the rear axle. "Some vehicles may experience a noise (growl, grind) coming from the rear axle bearing which could eventually seize," said the NHTSA posting.
All three recalls are expected to begin in February 2011.
The star of Fiat's exhibition area at the Geneva Motor Show and the first Fiat-branded vehicle to come out of the partnership with the Chrysler Group is the new Freemont 7-seater crossover. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the Freemont is a re-badged 2011 Dodge Journey, but if for whatever reason you weren't satisfied with the first batch of official photos, the Italians have just released a more comprehensive set that includes pictures of the interior as well.
We'll remind you that the Freemont is due to go on sale in Fiat dealerships across Europe from the second half of 2011. The Italian firm's newcomer will initially come with front-wheel drive and a Fiat-sourced 2.0-liter turbo with 140HP and 170HP, linked to a manual gearbox. By the end of the year, Fiat will also offer two four-wheel drive versions fitted with the 170HP 2.0 MultiJet diesel, and Chrysler's 276HP 3.6-liter V6 petrol unit. For more details on the Freemont, check out our previous story here.
The Chicago Auto Show is the stage for the world premiere of an entire lineup of new R/T performance models from Dodge. The brand's performance moniker, which stands for Road & Track and has been in use since the 1960s, has now been applied on the latest iterations of the Charger saloon, Challenger Coupe, Journey crossover, Durango SUV and the Dodge Caravan minivan. Every R/T model receives exclusive exterior and interior design cues plus performance enhancements including special exhaust tuning and a sport suspension.
“Our Dodge R/T models give buyers the chance to stoke their love of driving while still taking care of their families and responsibilities. Driving these R/T models will absolutely leave a smile on their face,” said Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles.
Beginning with the 2011 Charger R/T, the sports sedan comes with a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with four-cylinder mode Fuel Saver Technology returning 370 horsepower and a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) performance in less than 6 seconds. It is available in both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. The MSRP for the 2011 Charger R/T is $30,170 (excluding an $825 destination charge).
The new Durango SUV in R/T trim is powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 producing 360 horses and 390 lb.-ft. of torque allowing for a 7,400 lb. towing capability. Exterior appointments include a color-matched body kit, wheel lips, light bar and rear fascia with integrated dual chrome exhaust outlets. The 7-passenger interior is spruced up with sport seats featuring red stitching accents. It will go on sale this Spring with a starting U.S. MSRP of $35,465 (excluding $850 destination).
Next up on our list is the Grand Caravan R/T with a 3.6-liter V6 delivering 283-ponnies and 260 lb.-ft of peak torque, matched to six-speed auto. Unique features include a “dipped” body-color grille, body-color side moldings and exclusive 17-inch wheels plus a performance-tuned suspension. Inside, the all-black interior features exclusive perforated black leather seats with red stitching, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and a premium sound system with nine-speakers, a subwoofer and 506-watt amplifier. Prices start from $30,595 (excluding $835 destination).
The recently facelifted Journey, which will be available in Europe as the Fiat Freemont, is also getting the Dodge R/T badge for 2011. Like the Grand Caravan R/T, the Journey R/T is powered by the new 283-horse 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
It is available with front- or all-wheel drive and can seat five or seven passengers. The FWD model starts at $28,995 (including $750 destination) while the AWD iteration of the Journey R/T at $30,695 (including $750 destination).
The fifth and final R/T model is the 2011 Challenger. It gets a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 which delivers 372HP and 410 lb-ft of torque when paired to the refined Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission for a 0-60 mph sprint in less than 6 seconds, and 372 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque when mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.
Chassis upgrades include a more aggressive front- and rear-camber geometry plus new larger diameter front- and rear-stabilizer bars. A restyled and larger front air dam, a “duck bill” front spoiler and an all-new leather-wrapped thick-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel are also part of the package. On sale now, the MSRP for the 2011 Challenger R/T is $29,670 (excluding an $825 destination charge).
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