First Interior Photos of 2011 Dodge Durango SUV

About a month ago, Dodge released pictures and initial details on its all-new 2011 Durango SUV model. Now that we have had some time to digest the crossover's exterior, the automaker has dropped the first photos of the 7-seater model's interior.

Being that the new Durango is heavily based on the 2011 Grand Cherokee, it comes to no surprise that -for the most part- the cockpit design is almost identical to that of Jeep's flagship model.

There are changes to the color schemes and trim, new steering wheel hub and instrument panel gauge designs, while certain switchgear such as the rotatable knob for the headlamps are unique to the Durango.

However, the most important difference is that unlike the Jeep's five-passenger arrangement, the Durango offers room for seven people in three rows of seats

Dodge says that it has used high quality materials that are refined and soft to the touch throughout the interior.

The new Durango will go on sale in the United States before the end of the year with customers having the option between the Chrysler Group's new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 5.7-liter HEMI engine a Multi-displacement system (MDS) four-cylinder mode.

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2011MY Jeep Liberty: New Steering Wheel, Media Systems and Colors

After yesterday's news on the US-spec Fiat 500 and the redesigned Chrysler Sebring (renamed to '200') and Town & Country, and Jeep Patriot models, the subtle changes and upgrades on other 2011MY Chrysler Group products, including the Jeep Liberty (named Cherokee in Europe, Australia and other markets), went by somewhat unnoticed.

For the 2011 model year, the most noticeable change on the Liberty is the newly styled steering wheel with standard controls for radio, EVIC, cruise control and Uconnect phone. In addition, Jeep added three new infotainment systems:

-AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 and auxiliary jack with 6.5-in. touch screen and 30 GB hard drive

-AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 and auxiliary jack with 6.5-in. touch screen, 30 GB hard drive and Garmin navigation

-AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 and auxiliary jack with 6.5-in. touch screen, 30 GB hard drive, Uconnect navigation, SIRIUS Traffic and SIRIUS Travel Link

Finally, there are several new color offerings, including Bronze Star, Blackberry Pearl, Bright White Clear and Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl.

The Jeep Liberty will continue to be available in three trim levels, Sport, Renegade and Limited, all powered by a 3.7-liter V6 producing 210 HP at 5,200 rpm and 235 lb.-ft. (319 Nm) of peak torque at 4,000 rpm.

Chrysler to Show Dealers New Models, Discuss Future at Florida Meeting on Tuesday

Chrysler dealers will meet in Orlando, Florida tomorrow to discuss the Pentastar's future and their role in it. Some 1,735 (out of 2,314) dealers will be getting up close and personal with new models, as well as getting sneak peeks (call us!) at some of the upcoming model facelifts and updates including the refreshed Dodge Challenger and minivans, and the new Fiat 500.

Other than seeing the new products, they will have a variety of questions answered by Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat North America CEOs.

David Kelleher, a dealer from Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania and member of the Chrysler Dealer Council, told Wall Street Journal that "dealers will experience a very transparent show. They are going to go home with more information they have now. They will know about the future of the company."

Sergio Marchionne will finally address dealers personally, as well; since he and Fiat took over in summer 2009, the only real communication between him and dealers has been discussing future product with the media last winter. Other than that, he says he simply wasn't ready to speak with anyone until the proper plans for his super-company were ready.

While in Orlando, many dealers will also be asked to stay open on Saturdays in order to help both with sales and Mopar Express Lanes (for quick repairs / tune-ups / oil changes). The goal is to have 80% of dealers staying open on weekends by the end of next year (versus 68% now).

For comparison, 95% of Toyota dealers are open on Saturdays (including 100% of Lexus dealers), over 90% of GM dealers stay open, and 85% of Ford lots are there for you.

Mopar CEO Pietro Gorlier says, "We have to respond to customers and customers shop or get their oil changed on Saturdays. Those that stay open on Saturdays have had tremendous success and their oil change business has increased by 20%."

By Phil Alex

Source: WSJ (sub. req)

2011 Chrysler 200 Begins its Striptease, Puts the Sebring to Rest

Chrysler began the tease-y reveal of a few new models that are essential to its survival. Following the Fiat 500 and the facelifted Town & Country minivan, next up is the refreshed, renamed, and Sebring-replacing Chrysler 200.

For 2011 the mid-size Chrysler gets enough new stuff to earn itself a brand new name to go along with its gangsta big brother: 200. See a similarity? You should, because Chrysler has finally gotten on the ball with family names.

The car formerly known as Sebring gets "virtually every system" replaced or improved for 2011, and hopefully more than just a few styling cues from 2009's 200C concept.

Exterior improvements include the new Chrysler grille, as well as fenders, front/rear fascias, hood, mirrors and decklid. From that list, it sounds as if all that's carrying over are the roof and doors, items the Sebring didn't make ugly.

Projector headlights and fog lamps round out the upgrades in front, while LEDs are incorporated out back in the taillights and third brake light.

Under the hood, the Sebring will finally compete with other modern players in the segment. The 2.4 liter engine still trudges on with a base 4-speed automatic (tsk, tsk), but also gains a 6-speed automatic as an option. To make up for that fleet-friendly 4-speed automatic, the big engine option in the 200 - likely standard in a highline 200C - will be a 283-horsepower / 260 lb-ft Pentastar V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic.

Ride quality and comfort should be drastically improved by using a new suspension geometry, rear sway bar, laminated glass (windshield and front doors), and "stiffened body mounts and softer ride rate." Inside, consumers can expect to see new seats, a dash/instrument panel with snazzier bezels / gauges / vents, and plenty of soft-touch surfaces.

The 2011 Chrysler 200 will be built at the company's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan and should be on dealer lots by the fourth quarter of this year. Expect more news as it becomes available.

By Phil Alex

2011 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan Refreshed and Powered by New 283HP Pentastar V6

These are the first official photos of the 2011MY Chrysler Town & Country minivan that has been facelifted to entice more buyers away from the likes of the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna people carriers. Key changes include some subtle cosmetic tweaks on the outside, a refreshed interior boasting higher quality materials, improved driving dynamics and a new Pentastar V6 engine.

The updated Town & Country gets Chrysler's newly styled and smaller in size corporate grille along with redesigned front and rear bumpers, a resculptured hood, new tail lamps and a reworked tail gate featuring the firm's new badge and a chrome strip that runs the full width of the car.

Interior revisions include the newly designed instrument panel and steering wheel with integrated controls that allow the driver to operate the radio, cruise control, hands-free phone and other vehicle function, plus a new heating and cooling control system. Chrysler says it has also upgraded the cloth and leather seating materials and added new "soft touch" plastics on the door panels.

Under the hood, the biggest change for the 2011 model is the addition of the Chrysler Group's new Pentastar V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 3.6-liter unit produces 283HP and 260 lb.-ft. of torque achieving an estimated EPA fuel economy rating of 17mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

That's compared with the previous 197HP 3.3-liter and 230HP 3.8-liter and V6 units on the 2010MY Town & Country, which returned 17/24mpg and 16/23mpg respectively.

The automaker said that the 2011MY people carrier also benefits from improvements to the driving dynamics, a new fuel economizer mode that helps maximize fuel economy and reductions in noise, vibration and harshness plus equipment upgrades.

Built at the Windsor Assembly Plant, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Chrysler's revamped minivan will arrive in U.S. showrooms in the fourth quarter 2010.