<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Durango]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Durango]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/durango http://jalopnik.com/tag/durango <![CDATA[SUV-driving teenage girl crashes into Audi R8]]> A poster over at Luxury4Play found out the hard way that teenage girls in SUVs aren't always the most attentive drivers when one barreled into his Audi R8. It hurts to look at. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5869353&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[New Dodge Durango catches fire while pulling parade float]]> The annual Cherry Blossom Parade in downtown Washington carried with it a special floral display this year, courtesy of a new Dodge Durango that caught fire while towing a parade float. UPDATED More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5790753&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2011 Dodge Durango: Three Rows And A Hemi]]> The 2011 Dodge Durango adds a third row of seats for Chrysler's third attempt at making a competitive mid-size SUV not named Jeep. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5628401&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2011 Dodge Durango Shows Off Its Dark Side]]> Dodge has unveiled a teaser site for the 2011 Durango along with these shots of the Jeep Grand Cherokee-based SUV coming later this year. What's expected: three rows of seats and a Hemi V8. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5613795&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2012 Dodge Magnum: First Blurry Photo]]> This is the 2012 Dodge Magnum — a.k.a. the new Dodge Durango — revealed in a photo taken indoors at what appears to be the Jefferson North plant. Built on the GC Mercedes platform, it looks better with camo. [@AsianMartin] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5593770&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2012 Dodge Magnum Revealed In Patent Drawings, Looks Like An Olds]]> The next-generation Dodge SUV will probably be called the 2012 Dodge Magnum, instead of Durango, but whatever it's called these patent drawings show it's got a Ram nose, old Viper wheels and an Oldsmobile Bravada roofline. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5462477&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Dodge Durango: Once More, Into The Leak]]> With the reveal of the 2010 Chrysler 300C, 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2010 Dodge Charger we overlooked the reveal of the 2010 Dodge Durango in Chrysler's Viability Plan. Old-vs-new comparison below. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5160962&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Chrysler Closing Aspen, Durango Plant December 31; Hybrids DOA]]> Chrysler's Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid are apparently destined to become a tiny footnote in the annals of automotive history, as Chrysler has announced the closure of the Newark Assembly Plant that builds the SUVs effective December 31. The plant was already operating on one shift, but the closure will still result in about 1,000 jobs lost and the temporary exit of Chrysler from the full-size SUV market, not to mention the premature death of Auburn Hills' version of the two-mode hybrid. So is this Chrysler sloughing off more detritus in preparation for a sale? After all, those hybrids would have conflicted with the Yukon and Tahoe hybrids in any merger with GM. [Detroit News] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5070344&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2009 Chrysler Aspen And Dodge Durango Hybrids Begin Production]]> The 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid and the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid, the first hybrids from the penta-star brand, are finally rolling off the lines in Newark, Delaware. With its two-mode hybrid system and cylinder deactivation capability reigning in the big 5.7-liter HEMI engine, the hybrid twins are expected to return a 25% increase in fuel economy, up to 19 MPG city, 20 highway. Yes, even though they've been hybridized, they can still tow 6,000 pounds, along with all your rugrats and their junk. We suspect the market for these vehicles will be pretty strong, and sales may swell into the hundreds. [MotorAuthority] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5040665&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[LA Auto Show: 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Hemi Hybrids Revealed]]> Here's a question for you: how do you feel about a hybrid Hemi? Somebody please answer for Danio as I know his head just popped. With the electric motor, both vehicles can summon up 385 horsepower. No mention of torque (either at the reveal or in the press release) but both "two-mode" big 'ol hybrid boys showed up towing toys. The Chrysler got a horse trailer while the Dodge had a boat. ChryslerCerebusDodge is claiming that gas mileage in the city will be up by 40% while highway numbers will improve by 25%. The actual numbers? ChryslerCerebusDodge didn't say, which of course reminds me of an old Simpsons bit. "Each newspaper contains a certain percent of recycled paper." To which Lisa asks, "What percent is that?" The answer, "Zero. Zero's a percent." More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=322882&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[LA Auto Show Preview: 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid]]> It's Chrysler's other first production hybrid... and it's got a HEMI... it's got the same HEMI! The 2009 Durango HEMI Hybrid is maybe the cooler, rougher, slightly less-suburban brother of the Aspen HEMI Hybrid. Other than the big cross-hair grille and other cosmetic touches it's basically the same vehicle. This model also gets the two-mode 5.7-liter HEMI setup, the LED headlights, MyGIG entertainment system and other stock goodies such as a rear park assist camera, electronic roll mitigation and a bunch of airbags. Look for a deeper discussion of the two-mode HEMI hybrid system later today. Full press release after the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=322564&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Hit-And-Run Driver Hit By Hit-And-Runner]]> Clearly, some people do not watch My Name is Earl. These people do not know that karma never looks the other way (or that El Caminos and Brats are awesome). This lesson was learned in New York by Mark Durfee, who rear-ended a car in his Explorer and fled the scene. While trying to get away his Explorer stopped running so he abandoned it and tried to cross the highway, whereby he was hit by someone in a Dodge Durango... who promptly fled the scene. He's in stable but ironic condition, with the driver of the Durango still at large. [Newsday via Gothamist] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=318689&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Wango Tango! Dance Marathon for a Dodge Durango in Texas]]> Anyone who's seen "Hands on a Hardbody" knows Texans will endure all manner of tediousness to win a truck. Not content to give Nissan the last word, Dodge is sponsoring an endurance dance contest, the "Dodge Durango Tango" at the State Fair of Texas today. The enduring hoofer — partnered with a life-sized doll dressed up with wardrobe props — will win a 2008 Dodge Durango. Appearing at the event will be Emmitt "Lost: Answers to the Name of 'Dignity'" Smith, who will endure his own marathon of PR copywriters' "dancing with the cars" puns. C'mon now, it's for charity. Every hour the contest lasts, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas will receive $500. Now get out there and jingle-jangle your bone spurs. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=304323&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Official Car Pundit Drinking Game: Yeah, That Hybrid's Got A Hemi!]]> Well, it looks like our senior editor from the D is taking is show to the boob tube this evening where he'll be talking about the Chrysler Group's new Hemi hybrids. He'll be On The Money this evening on CNBC at 7:39 EST and while he's powdering his nose, it's time for us to come up with some new drinking game rules. If for any reason you're confused as to what the heck we're talking about with this here drinkin' game — check this out for all the details. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=271160&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Chrysler Reveals Dual-Mode Hybrid Dodge Durango And Chrysler Aspen, We Drive]]> We spent the morning out in Chelsea, MI checking out the latest and greatest from the soon to no longer be 'merican side of the German-American hybrid at their annual "What's New?" event. It's an opportunity for all the auto journalists on this side of the country to get a chance to grab with grubby hands every bit of what's coming out in 2008. Some of what's new we're allowed to talk about, some of what's new we aren't so much allowed to talk about. But one of the surprise appearances at this year's event was a preview of two large SUV's that Chrysler's head of product development, Frank Klegon hopes will revitalize sales of large SUV's. It's the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen dual-mode hybrids — and yeah, they've both got a Hemi. We had a chance to take the Durango Hemi hybrid out for a spin on the track at the development center and then afterward we talked with Frank Klegon in an exclusive sit-down an instance of extreme luck when he ambled over to sit with us during lunch. We asked Frank... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=271088&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Durango Cereal Holds Value Better Than Dodge Durango]]> One of the best ways to spend a Saturday morning in Detroit is to head down to Eastern Market, a 100-plus-year-old bastion of hardcore dickering and deal making. Primarily a direct-to-consumer outlet of hyperfresh foodstuffs and wacky plant life, there are also several locations dealing in antiquities and oddities. Cue one of the oddities. Somehow, a press kit from the unveiling of the Dodge Durango at the 1997 Detroit auto show has survived for a decade and is now being offered for sale for $35! (*cough* *cough* WHAT?!) In our estimation, this free press pack, featuring Bobs Lutz and Eaton, some certainly stale cereal, and a couple of info booklets has appreciated in value infinity percent. If only this could somehow work for fleet sales...– Ben Wojdyla More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=250289&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Fire! Chrysler to Issue Durango and Liberty Recalls]]> Reports of fires breaking out have Chrysler ready to send out letters to 2006 and 2007 Dodge Durango and Jeep Liberty owners. A faulty blower motor is the cause of the conflagrations, which evidently occur when the air conditioning is used during hot weather. Notices will go out to Durango owners in April and Liberty Owners in May. A third and much less flammable recall for Dodge Avenger door latch mechanisms will be issued as soon as Chrysler gathers enough of the replacement parts to make the repair. Over 489,000 vehicles are affected. So far the Durango is ahead in the burnout contest, with 66 reported fires versus only 16 for the Liberty. – Mike Bumbeck More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=243520&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[This Is Our Country, This Is Our Chrysler?]]>
According to The New York Times, those "talks" we reported on yesterday? Yeah, they're occurring, but apparently they're not what manager-magazin.de thought they were. According to Detroit bureau chief "Hey!" Micki Maynard's sources, it's actually all about the platforms. Namely, the platform that GM has and that the Chrysler Group wants. That's right, according to the NYT, the General's all about pimping out their GMT-900 platform to the king priest of the religion of platform prostitution, the 'merican side of the German-American hybrid. This makes some sense, because not only does Chrysler not have a Huge-UV, we've also heard the Chrysler Group's planning on killing the biggest one they've got, the Durango Big-UV platform, in their quest to cull the Chrysler-chaff from the...whatever. I guess it'd make sense for Chrysler to sell something a wee bit bigger that they could get a wee bit more money for — and all while not building anything themselves. Sounds like a plan to us. Anyone know what'd be in it for the General? Oh wait, they get to not shut down a plant and face the wrath of the UAW. Hmm...interesting. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237210&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Chrysler To Build Hybrid Dodge Durango For 2008]]> Here in Auburn Hills, Tom LaSorda's talking about what's going to bring the Chrysler Group back in black in the long-term. Part of that plan includes creating a "stronger product pipeline" by developing among other things, a two-mode full hybrid propulsion architecture. That's the good news. The bad news is it'll be seen first in the platform prostituted 2008 Dodge Durango. That means we'll probably see a Chrysler Aspen and Jeep Commander hybrids in 2009. But that's just a guess on our part. They're also evaluating a mild hybrid for future applications, but no word on when and what platforms it'll be seen on. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=236547&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Fargo North: Dodge Reveals 2008 Dakota]]> Someone in Dodge design must have gotten a new band saw for their birthday. At least that's what seems to have happened, judging from the newly squared-off 2008 Dakota pickup, which will be unveiled at the Chicago auto show later this week. With the jaw of a Yale man and a set of wheel arches that attach, faux-cantilever style, to the front doors, the new model is more stylistically forward than that which it replaces. It also gets more power (25% more from a new 4.7-liter V8) and a towing capacity of over 7,000 lbs. We'll see it up close at the Chicago show, where we'll try not to get impaled on that front overhang. – Mike Spinelli More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=234099&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Dealer Dollars: Chrysler Gives Dealers Incentive, But Will They Give It To You?]]> The 'merican side of the German-American hybrid's already shown a penchant for descent down the slippery sales ladder of incentives without saying they're incentives. Hell, maybe they're just lying to themselves. Whether they're telling the truth or just truthiness, the Detroit News is reporting today the chieftains in the sales and marketing team run by Joe "Direct Mail" Eberhardt have instituted a plan where they're giving dealers anywhere from $2,500 (on the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300) to $7,000 (on the Dodge Ram and Durango) for 2006 models. Why the need? Well, even though the kids in Auburn Hills have cut inventories from the highs of 647,000 vehicles in July to 499,000 reported yesterday for November, '06 models still account for 32% of current inventory. That's a lot of "old" model year cars and trucks to try to be shipping out the dealer doors n' lots. But, that means... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=218860&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Chrysler Group's Marketing Man Makes You Wonder: "Hey Joe, Is It Time To Go?"]]> The recent (and steeply sloping) sales and revenue downturn over at the American side of the German-American hybrid has caused folks to speculate whether the muckety-mucks running the day-to-day show under Chrysler Group CEO Tom "two shakes a day" LaSorda over in the Auburn Hills, MI HQ have been making the wisest of choices. Of LaSorda's executive squad, no washroom key carrying member of the team's being talked about in hushed tones more than Joe Ebehardt, the sired-in-Stuttgart exec veep in charge of Chrysler Group sales, marketing, service and probably some other stuff too. We've heard all manner of stories surrounding the main marketing and sales stud at the Chrysler Group — everything from shouting matches with dealers to botched marketing decisions regarding creative — but recently it's become a crescendo of crap — reaching heights that force even those of us in a permanent half-drunk state to start asking questions like "Hey Joe, what do you know, how come Chrysler's sales can't seem to grow?" Let's take a closer look at what we've heard, plus some of our own analysis, after the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=213634&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ad Watch: A Is For Asploding Fuel Costs? Chrysler's Aspen SUV]]>
A is for Astronomically increasing fuel costs
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]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=208192&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Shaming Of Dr. Z: Marketing The Chrysler Aspen SUV]]> We're not even sure what this marketing message from Chrysler's new site for the Aspen SUV means — because although there's a bunch of ways to take it — most of them are bad. Whoever thought "Decadence Without The Shame" was a good tagline for an indulgent and expensive high-end brand-engineered Durango — should probably hope they've got a crisp and clean copy of the ol' resume at hand. It's a new and giant SUV, guys — for shame, Chrysler. For so, so much shame. [Hat tip to Bumblebee] – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=207250&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Punched In The Fun Bags: DaimlerChrysler Recalls 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickups Over Air Bags]]> The 'merican side of the German-American hybrid today announced it was recalling 145,000 '06 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups to replace the "passenger air bag pack" and reprogram the 'puter telling it how to deploy. While it's in the shop, they're gonna just go ahead and also replace the "front passenger seat assembly" because there's a chance it may not allow certain child restraint systems to be properly secured. Oof, flying babies — not a good thing. In a totally unrelated recall... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=199066&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Chrysler Tells Dealers To Eat Their Durangos — How Can They Have Any Calibers If They Don't Eat Their Trucks and SUV's?]]> As we heard yesterday in the Tom LaSorda press scrum-n'-tumble out in Auburn Hills, the German-American hybrid's running into some troubles with inventories of trucks and the Dodge Durango. But, as was told to us yesterday — at the same time, they're working to boost the small car / mid-size SUV side of the sales ratio, pushing those new Dodge Calibers out to dealers to sell as quickly as their Mexican Illinois-based plant can birth them. Or at least that was what we've been told. Instead, Katie Merx over at the Freep's reporting that the boys n' girls in Auburn Hills, during a super-double-secret sat-call to dealers, explained they won't be getting those quick-selling-like-a-bunny Calibers unless they're also buying the slow-selling-as-molasses Dodge Ram trucks and Dodge Durangos. And not just a few more, but 50% more than what dealers originally requested — an additional 90 days' worth of supply. But hey, they're going to try to make it easier... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=196384&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Hybrid Hemi!: Gas-Electric Durango On the Way]]> Dodge introduced its slightly restyled Durango SUV at the Dallas auto show this week, and though the company didn't quite beat it to death with a pretty stick, it did make it hybrid friendly. It's true, the 2008 Durango will be offered with a full hybrid-drive system — the product of a development alliance between GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW — that will pair an electric motor with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. No word on mileage yet, but considering it'll be offered with variable displacement system, the new powerplant just may be the most cake-having-and-eatingest on the market. Hopefully it'll function less awkwardly than our morning prose. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=165464&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[New Hemi-Powered Dodge Durango Will Get Standard Multidisplacement]]> Dodge announced its Hemi-powered 2006 Durango full-sized SUV will offer the company's Multidisplacement System (MDS) as standard equipment. The system shuts off four out of eight cylinders when they're unneeded, like when cruising at highway speed, lopping up to 20% off average fuel consumption. It's the first year the system will be offered on the Durango, having been rolled out on other Hemified vehicles, like the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum in 2004. The company claims its use of MDS will save 60 million gallons of fuel annually by 2007. More »
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