We compared the 2010 Dodge Charger and 2010 Chrysler 300C to their existing models this morning, but we've now come across new profile images of the 2010 Dodge Durango and 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee in Chrysler's Viability Plan documents.

The 2010 Durango is all-new and looks the part, leaving behind the bloated look of the current model and replacing it with a much more streamlined design. Gone are the over-inflated wheel arches and B-pillar split day light opening. The rear quarter window has a slight hint of Magnum in its design as well as the forward sweep of the rear hatch. Chrysler looks to have opted for less of a rugged truck-like feel, instead approaching the design with some much needed sensitivity. Like both the 2010 300C and 2010 Charger, the 2010 Durango receives softer, less protruding front and rear bumper surfaces as well. We're guessing the 2010 Durango will no longer be marketed as an SUV, rather Chrysler will jump on the CUV bandwagon with the new model.

The 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee on the other hand retains its SUV-like design. The wheel arches appear to have been softened, but they still have a sense of ruggedness to them. The day light opening appears to now be one single unit with the use of blackout B- and C-pillars and also seems to be a little bit shorter giving it higher perceived belt line. The tail lamps are now smaller, but continue to wrap around to the side and the rear sweep of the hatch remains true to the current Grand Cherokee. Again, the bumpers are close to zero offset, helping to define the overall shape of the truck. The front end, which we can see clearly, doesn't need much explanation about its new design direction other than the 7-slot grille is now more pronounced and appears to be wider. The headlights lose the signature Jeep roundness, instead they've been replaced with smaller, sleeker units that wrap around to the side. The hood has also been reworked and features a defined shoulder that intersects the mid-section just above the grille.

We'll have to wait for some new clearer images to really make a judgment call on the new 2010 Dodge Durango and 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but from what we can see so far, Chrysler's done an a-ok job creating a couple of easily forgettable entries into the already bloated SUV market. Carry on.

Dodge Durango

Dodge Durango offers style, comfort, convenience and superior versatility in a real SUV, with three rows of seating and room for eight.

The Dodge Durango's styling is enhanced with a high beltline emphasizing its bold appearance, while short front and rear overhangs contribute to the vehicle's expression of concentrated power. Crisp angles and chiseled surfaces highlight a strong and confident front-end design. The Durango's signature crosshair grille stands out prominently, flanked by rectangular headlamps with dual-halogen bulbs wrapped around the corners of the fenders. The rear design of the Dodge Durango is marked by "afterburner" taillamps, and a chrome appliqué accentuating the rear liftgate.

Standard interior appointments include wood-accented door panels and instrument-panel center stack, air conditioning, overhead console with HomeLink® Universal Transceiver and Electronic Vehicle Information Center, front and rear LED lamps that can be individually aimed, MyGIG Entertainment System with navigation, floor console with rear power accessory outlet, and 60/40 third-row bench seat.

Standard equipment also includes leather-trimmed bucket seats, eight-way power driver's seat with memory, four-way power passenger seat, heated front-row seats, and a second-row bench seat, providing seating for eight.

Dodge Durango rides on a torsionally stiff, fully hydroformed frame with independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, providing a turning radius of 37.5 ft. — shorter than a Honda Pilot. Suspension and steering are finely tuned to deliver superior ride and precise steering. Dodge Durango's rear suspension features coil springs and a solid rear axle secured with a Watt's linkage system, resulting in refined ride and handling characteristics.

Advanced safety and security features include standard Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Program with Electronic Roll Mitigation and Trailer Sway Control, side-curtain air bags for all three rows, ParkSense® Rear Park Assist System, Tire Pressure Monitoring system, Sentry Key® engine immobilizer, and ParkView™ Rear Back-up Camera System.

New 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI® Hybrid and Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid

Chrysler LLC's First Production Hybrid Vehicles

• Hybrid fuel efficiency combined with full-size SUV performance, capability and utility

• HEMI® Hybrid delivers more than 25-percent overall fuel economy improvement

• Full-size SUVs boast nearly 40-percent fuel economy improvement in city

• HEMI Hybrid features Chrysler's Multi-displacement System (MDS)

Chrysler and Dodge are bursting onto the hybrid scene in a big way.

With the introduction of the new 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI® Hybrid and 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid, Chrysler LLC delivers two hybrid-electric vehicles that combine fuel-efficient advanced-hybrid technology with full-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV) performance and capability.

"The new 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid vehicles will offer our customers the sought-after blend of performance, utility, capability and vastly improved fuel economy — all in one package," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President - Product Development, Chrysler LLC. "Combined with Chrysler's Multi-displacement System (MDS), our advanced, two-mode hybrid technology immediately delivers a more than 25-percent fuel economy improvement to our full-size SUVs — and up to a 40-percent improvement in the city."

The 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid vehicles are Chrysler's first entries in the hybrid market.

Capable of towing 6,000 lbs., the 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid vehicles deliver 385 horsepower — seamless, dependable power and performance on demand, in an efficient package. With an electrically variable transmission (featuring the best characteristics of an automatic transmission and hybrid drive) and two different hybrid modes of operation, the drive system dramatically improves fuel economy around town and at highway speeds.

The new 5.7-liter HEMI Hybrid is expected to deliver an overall fuel economy improvement of more than 25 percent, including an improvement of nearly 40 percent in the city. For customers who desire the performance and capability of a large SUV, the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango Hybrid vehicles will reduce fuel consumption by several hundreds of gallons of gas per year.

The renowned HEMI powerplant, in hybrid form, will continue to feature Chrysler's MDS, which allows the engine to seamlessly alternate between four-cylinder mode when less power is needed and V-8 mode when more power is in demand. The two-mode hybrid system provides assistance from electric motors allowing the HEMI V-8 to remain in four-cylinder mode more often than without a hybrid powertrain, improving overall fuel economy.

Built at the Newark Assembly Plant in Delaware, the new 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid vehicles arrive in showrooms in mid-2008.

Related:
Chrysler Reveals Dual-Mode Hybrid Dodge Durango And Chrysler Aspen, We Drive; more coverage of the only Official Car Pundit Drinking Game [internal]

...a couple of things about the new dual-mode Hemi hybrid and learned they're expecting a 40% improvement in fuel efficiency in city driving and a 25% increase in fuel efficiency during highway driving. Klegon also explained the hybrid system, built in cooperation with General Motors and BMW, is exactly the same as the GM system powering the 'lectric side of the new Tahoe and Yukon hybrids — the only difference being each company tunes the system a little bit differently based upon engine preferences. And speaking of the engine — that's where Klegon claims they've got the biggest advantage over GM's system. The new Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango hybrids are powered by the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine with Multi-Displacement System (MDS) — allowing it to run on 4 cylinders or 8 cylinders depending on workload needs. We can personally attest the system runs smoothly — in a one lap test. How it fares on the road is something entirely different.

The hybrid system utilizes a true dual-mode drivetrain whereby the wheels of the twin SUV's can receive power from both the engine as well as from on-board batteries which receive a charge from braking and from the engine. Chrysler engineers tell us the system can run up to 25mph for an unspecified distance fully on batteries. We've no idea when the system's going to come to market in the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen — engineers were kinda cagey on the whole "when is it coming to market thing."

But what was really interesting to us was that all this discussion of the hybrid engine system — the common parts shared between Chrysler and GM plus the large amounts of team work going into bringing it about — brought us to wonder whatever happened to those rumors of Chrysler and GM sharing GM's GMT-900 platform for large SUV's and trucks? Klegon gave us a "no comment" on that one — but we'll be damned if the man didn't look first over at Rick Dennau, his PR watchdog, and then down at his plate as he said it. Whether that means he felt discomfort at being unable to share anything with us or it meant he was just looking for another bite of the kielbasa — we'll never know. But all we know is we wouldn't be surprised to be hearing something more about discussions sometime in the future. – Ray Wert

UPDATE: Sources at General Motors tell us talks are still going on with the Chrysler Group on platform sharing, especially in regards to the GMT-900.

Related:
Hybrid Hemi!: Gas-Electric Durango On the Way; Chrysler To Build Hybrid Dodge Durango For 2008 [internal]

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

The Bobs mugging it up after the jump.

Related:
Chrysler Tells Dealers To Eat Their Durangos ... [internal]

Chrysler Recalls SUVs After Dozens of Reported Fires [Reuters]

Related:
Oh What A Bad Feeling: Toyota To Recall 533,000 Sequoias and Tundras; More Recalls [Internal]

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

Chrysler and GM Hold Talks on Joint Project [NYT]

Related:
The Official Car Pundit Drinking Game: Wait, There's Chrysler News Today?; General Motors Provides "No Comment" On Chrysler Acquisition Rumors; All Your Automakers Are Belong To GM: General Motors Looking At Acquiring Chrysler Group? [internal]

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

UPDATE:Chrysler Group PR reminds us that they mentioned it in the press release for the 2007 model. The details they've got are that it will "be linked to the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, providing customers up to 25-percent improved fuel economy."

Related:
Breaking! Chrysler Group To Cut 13,000 Workers And Return To Profitability By Investing In...Engines?; Breaking! DaimlerChrysler Makes $7.3 Billion In 2006, Chrysler Group Posts Loss Of $1.5 Billion, Up To $1.3 Billion In 2007 On Restructuring [internal]

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

Press Release:

Dodge Reveals New 2008 Dakota

Advance multi-stage driver and front passenger air bags are standard, and supplemental side-curtain air bags are available. Rear head restraints on Crew Cab models, which are designed for the driver's rearward visibility, have a foam-padded structure for increased protection.

[via Autoblog]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2008 Dodge Dakota [internal]

...if you're in the market for a new vehicle and you're willing to take the 2006 model — you'll be able to get a helluva deal from your dealer. That is, if your dealer's looking to share that money — because anything not used out of the unadvertised "dealer incentive" goes right back into their pockets. That means there's now a good way to see if your Chrysler Group dealer's playing you a fair deal, or just playing you. – Ray Wert

$$$ for Chrysler dealers [Detroit News]

Related:
Chrylser, Chrysler, Pants On Fire!; Breaking! Whoa, Joe Shows Chrysler Group Sales That Don't Blow — DCX Up 4.7%, Beats Ford [internal]

Let's start off with Eberhardt's marketing duties and responsibilities.

First, let's keep in mind I'm a staunch believer that TV commercials and ad campaigns don't sell cars. Sure, they can sell boxes of cereal, but a car's the second most costly purchase a consumer will make — and as such, the best a 30-second TV spot can do is shape the perception of a brand or model among potential buyers. That perception dictates how a consumer will feel about a particular vehicle — and it may even compel them to visit their local dealership. But once there, it's the sales interaction, test-drive experience and the all important "Jalopnik dashboard knock test" (patent pending) that ends up selling the vehicle. (Oh yeah, and if it looks pretty and stuff.) The one exception is when a TV spot promotes a sales incentive. Then, like a public service announcement, it merely provides information on existing products. But branding and sales incentive campaigns are totally separate beasts, and it's never in an automaker's best interest to muddle the message of a brand campaign by attaching a sales incentive campaign to it, right?

Obviously that's not what Joe Eberhardt thought. According to two sources, Eberhardt was the executive who made the decision to slap a zero-percent financing campaign to the ass-end of the now defunct and rightfully lambasted Dr. Z campaign. It's no wonder folks were confused by the commercials. A barely-explained incentive-deal graphic hooked to a vague branding campaign turned a light-hearted attempt to tout the Chrysler Group's "merger of German engineering and American design" into a convoluted and confusing mess of messages. But what makes the decision even more curious was that Eberhardt took the already risky proposition of using a CEO to build brand image, and upped the risk factor by tie-barring his appearance in the ads with Chrysler sales numbers. Eberhardt did the one thing a good soldier's not supposed to do. He left his general open for attack.

But we hear the Dr. Z / zero-financing wasn't the only iffy decision on the marketing side Eberhardt's made — we also hear he made a hardcore push to anoint the New York office of BBDO, and specifically NY creative director David Lubars, as the new creative lead for the Chrysler Group. And from what we hear, that decision's resulted in the strangest commercial we've ever seen — the Dodge Nitro "Planet" ad. (If you haven't yet seen it, here's the 30-second and 60-second versions, spooled up for your pleasure.) If you can figure out its intended message, feel free to let us in on it.

But the questions come not only on the marketing side of Eberhardt's world, but also on the sales side. As the exec veep in charge of selling vehicles, Eberhardt plays a pretty big role in dealer relations — and from what we've heard recently, that should probably be amended to read "Eberhardt plays a pretty big role in straining dealer relations." If you'll remember, right after we were out in Auburn Hills checking out Chrysler Group CEO Tom LaSorda running around with water on his head to raise money for the United Way, there was a sat-call with Chrysler's dealers with a simple message — no Dodge Caliber and fast-selling CUV's until dealers bought up as many of the unsold Dodge Ram pickups and Durango SUV's as they could hold on their lots. This was obviously met with some not-so-happy sounds from dealers — despite offers of financing deals and incentives to help them pay for the inventory Chrysler planned to pile on their lots. But they went along with it.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Eberhardt was meeting with the owners of some of Chrysler's largest dealers — and all of them were livid with Eberhardt over the continued shoving of unsold inventory down their throats. According to sources, when dealers pleaded for continued help on financing and an end to the requirement to buy more '06 model trucks and SUV's, Eberhardt became enraged and began to scream at the dealers — something along the lines of "If you were any good at selling [trucks and SUV's], this wouldn't be a problem for you!" Good for Eberhardt — an exec always willing to share the blame — because obviously the dealers had forgotten how giddy with excitement they'd been a month earlier over the prospects of having to sell a bunch of gas-guzzlin' pickups and SUV's.

I've heard there are some new faces over in Auburn Hills as of late — some people carrying bags that say "Mercedes-Benz" on them. I can't help but wonder if they're there to do what some people have said they're there to do — watch Joe Eberhardt like a hawk. – Ray Wert

Related:
Chrysler Group CEO LaSorda Carries The Water Weight Of Unsold Trucks And SUVs Very Well; Chrysler Tells Dealers To Eat Their Durangos — How Can They Have Any Calibers If They Don't Eat Their Trucks and SUV's?; Ad Watch: The Dodge Nitro's So Heavy, Man [internal]

A is for Astronomically increasing fuel costs

S is for Style for the blind

P is for Pimp my Durango

E is for Each sale makes me cry

N is for Not in my driveway will you find this monstrosity

Yup, the American side of the German-American hybrid's begun the teevee marketing and advertising campaign for the new Aspen SUV — and it's certainly reaching out for one demographic in particular. We'll let you guess what the demo is in the comments after you've had a moment to let "Aspen" (found above), "Features" and "Personality" (found below the jump) sink in. – Ray Wert

Related:
The Shaming Of Dr. Z: Marketing The Chrysler Aspen SUV [internal]

Related:
Snowblind!: Chrysler's Aspen SUV in Video; (Not) Breaking (The Bank)! Chrysler Prices Sebring, Aspen [internal]

...the Chrysler Group will also be asking 35,000 2001-2003 Dodge Durango's to step into the shop, because it could randomly cause your ABC to catch fire — no, not the Ass-Ball-Connection — the Area-Between-the-Console-and-seat. But come to think of it, if one catches fire in a 2001-2003 Dodge Durango, the other'll probably catch fire too.

Dodge trucks recalled for air bags [Detroit News]

Related:
Asses of Fire: Jeep Heated Seat Recall [internal]

...on both the dealer and the consumers by offering more...wait for it...incentives!

That's right, for just one week only, Chrysler will be offering $750 to $1,500 to customers who buy vehicles that haven't sold for at least 146 days. And that's on top of the employee pricing and 0% financing. But that just helps the consumer out — what about the dealers who now have to pay for the finacing costs? Well, Chrysler told dealers last week they'd help them foot the bill on financing costs for anything thats been sitting on the lot longer than 80 days.

Isn't that kind of Chrysler? Ask dealers to book those slow-sellers as sales, and then...when 3rd quarter numbers and August sales come out — look at all those sales they made. There's hardly any drop in light trucks. You know what Chrysler should have done, instead of dresisng up PR man Jason Vines at the United Way event yesterday? How about Tom LaSorda dressed up as a magician?

DCX puts dealers in a bind [Freep]

Related:
Chrysler Group CEO LaSorda Carries The Water Weight Of Unsold Trucks And SUVs Very Well [internal]