2009 Dodge Journey

Chrysler LLC will reveal the new 2009 Dodge Journey crossover at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show.

The Dodge Journey is built on the company’s global D-segment platform and is designed to meet the needs of customers ranging from young singles, couples and families with small children to mature families who want the flexibility to do more in terms of seating people or storing gear. Clever, flexible seating and storage combinations include standard five-passenger seating with spacious cargo room and available 5+2 seating, for times when additional passengers are along on the journey. Spacious storage bins, hidden in the floor and under the front passenger seat cushion, combined with a variety of fuel-efficient and powerful powertrain options, make Dodge Journey flexible, functional and fun-to-drive.

More information and images after the jump…

Continue reading 2009 Dodge Journey…

2008 DaimlerChrysler Fleet Ride & Drive

I attended the Chicagoland 2008 DaimlerChrysler Fleet Ride & Drive event today, and here’s a few quick observations and notes…

DCX took up THREE conference rooms at the Holiday Inn Select in Naperville, IL and the event was filled. Fleet sales is indeed a big chunk of business for the automakers.

More details and driving impressions after the jump…
Continue reading 2008 DaimlerChrysler Fleet Ride & Drive…

More Demon images…

More images of the Dodge Demon concept car have been posted in the Dodge Demon Concept gallery…

More on the Dodge Demon…

AutoExpress offered a few more tidbits on the Dodge Demon concept…

Set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the Dodge Demon is a striking two-seater. While bosses are still calling it a concept, it’s closer to the showroom than you might think. Officials are remaining tight-lipped, but the cabrio is tipped to go into production next year.

As with the Chrysler Crossfire, the Demon uses underpinnings from the previous-generation Mercedes SLK - this is the key to the car’s affordable development costs, and should help to keep prices competitive. Featuring the latest Dodge face, the newcomer fits perfectly into the current line-up. At the front, its huge grille is flanked by headlamps inspired by those on the Viper, plus a low airdam.

EDIT: More rumours have the Demon based off the Mercedes A/B-Class. Hopefully come Geneva, we’ll get a definitive answer.

Read more after the jump…

Continue reading More on the Dodge Demon……

Ontario is the home of the Challenger!

Ontario to Become Home of the All-new 2008 Dodge Challenger

* Brampton, Ontario plant will begin production in the spring of 2008
* Plant will become Chrysler Group’s first to build four different models
* DaimlerChrysler’s commitment to Canada continues
* Countdown begins for highly anticipated sports coupe

Toronto, Feb 13, 2007 - DaimlerChrysler announced today that the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger will be built at its Brampton Assembly Plant near Toronto.

“It’s good news that the Dodge Challenger will be added to the Canadian production line-up,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO – DaimlerChrysler Canada. “Quickly bringing desirable new products such as the Dodge Challenger to market is critical to keeping our plants humming and our dealerships busy.”

Read more after the jump…

Continue reading Ontario is the home of the Challenger!…

2007 Dodge Sprinter

Dodge Introduces All-new 2007 Sprinter

Sprinter is Longer, Wider and Taller; Offers More Space, Choices, Features and Innovations

* Increase in maximum width (two inches), interior height (11 inches), exterior height (13 inches), door opening height (5 inches), cargo area length (19 inches), vehicle length (30 inches), cargo volume (127 cu. ft.), and towing capacity (2,500 lbs.)
* Three vehicle lengths (233, 273 and 289 inches) on two new wheelbases — 144 inches, 170 inches or 170 inches extended with 15-inch longer rear overhang, the longest wheelbase in the segment
* Three interior roof height options: standard (65 inches), high (76 inches) and new mega (84 inches) — most among full-size vans
* Choice of two all-new engines: new 3.0-liter V-6 diesel or 3.5-liter V-6 gas engine
* Most best-in-class advantages including cargo capacity (up to 600 cubic feet), interior compartment accessibility, payload (5,770 lbs.), lowest side step-in height (19.9 inches), widest rear-door opening (270 degrees), cargo-sliding door loading width (51 inches), and increased interior height (up to 84 inches) providing up to 7-feet interior work space
* Three Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) configurations include new higher maximum (11,030 lbs.)
* Oil change intervals of 10,000 miles and maintenance intervals of 30,000 miles contribute to low maintenance costs
* More than 25 advanced safety and security features represent highest level of safety and security technology available in the full-size van segment
* All-new ADAPTIVE ESP takes electronic stability programs to the next level
* Unique CARGO PROTECTION system reduces accident risk from shifting loads
* Unmatched upfit-friendly design
* New standard features include power windows and locks, integrated wide-angle mirrors, halogen headlamps, 16-inch wheels, tilt- and height- adjustable steering wheel, CD radio, one-touch triple-flash function turn signals, and all-new ADAPTIVE ESP for improved functionality and safety capability

Read more, and look at the picture gallery, after the jump (bring a sandwich along - it’s a long one!)…

Continue reading 2007 Dodge Sprinter…

Dodge Demon Concept

The spiritual successor to the Dodge Razor Concept, the Dodge Scooter Roadster concept, and perhaps a little of the Dodge Slingshot concept, Dodge will reveal the Dodge Demon Concept at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show.

CAR & DRIVER says:

The Demon is a concept from a company that once made a habit of producing well-received concepts, but Dodge has no vehicle architecture suitable for such a car, so we expect it to remain just a concept. Instead of presaging a production car, the Demon exists only to raise Dodge’s cachet in Europe, where it is scarcely known.

I wouldn’t be too sure about that myself…

There will be those that will cry that the Razor was designed to be produced for around $15K. Folks, that was for a stripper coupe with no amenities. If the Demon is produced, it ain’t gonna be $15K. Picture a more Solstice/Sky-ish $20K. I’m not so sure the Demon name will stick either, what with folks getting all uptight about such things in today’s world.

It gets me wondering just what ELSE could come from such a platform though…remember - FLEX is where it’s at!

Press release and picture gallery after the jump…

Continue reading Dodge Demon Concept…

2008 Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs

Dodge Expands Commercial Presence, Charges into Class 4-5 Segment with All-new 2008 Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs

All-new chassis cabs showcase dominant commercial capability, durability and dependability
• Legendary Cummins Turbo Diesel in 6.7-liter displacement (610 lb.-ft. of torque)
• Six-speed automatic or manual transmission with Power Take Off (PTO) capability
• Largest standard fuel tank in segment (52 gallons)
• Best-in-class first-gear launch provides optimum acceleration on vehicle take-off
• Largest brake rotors in segment (390 mm)
• Largest caliper piston size in segment (66 mm)
• Life-to-overhaul intervals of 350,000 miles
• Standard diesel exhaust brake system, together with class-leading brakes and pistons, extends brake life while giving driver increased control
• Commercial-grade frame (50,000-psi steel) to maximize strength and reduce weight
• Flat, “clean” frame rail — all chassis components below top-of-frame surface to facilitate after-market upfits or retrofits
• To ensure quality, more than 1.5 million test miles by Dodge truck engineers
• Fourteen advanced safety technologies and enhanced accident-avoidance features offered

Extending bold, tough, in-your-face Dodge Ram heritage to the Class 4 and 5 commercial market, Dodge expands its commercial presence and sets another commercial standard with the launch of the all-new 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs.
“We built the all-new 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs for heavy-duty chassis cab buyers who want a powerful, capable and versatile commercial-quality vehicle,” said George Murphy, Senior Vice President – Global Brand Marketing, Chrysler Group. “With commercial performance, durability and capability, the 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs offer dominant powertrain packages, a commercial-grade upfit-friendly chassis, and bold, ‘big-rig’ Ram styling.”

Delivering maximum uptime, the 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs are the ultimate chassis for the commercial customer looking for a dynamic, capable work-truck. Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs feature numerous class-leading attributes including largest standard fuel tank (52 gallons), largest brake rotors (390 mm), largest caliper pistons (66 mm) and best-in-class first-gear launch for optimum acceleration on vehicle take-off.

With industry-standard 34-inch frame rail spacing and flat, clean frame rails on a one-piece C-channel rear-frame rail (50,000-psi steel), upfit-friendliness is a primary theme of the Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs. Showcasing an unrivaled upfit-friendly design that reduces costs for body-builders and customers, all chassis components are below the frame surface assuring easy adaptability and versatility for virtually any upfit application. Offered in dual-rear-wheel models, four cab-axle lengths (60, 84, 108 and 120 inches) are available.

The all-new 2008 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs offer leading commercial performance with a dominant powertrain package. The standard 6.7-liter Cummins High Output Turbo Diesel is loaded with 305 horsepower and 610 lb.-ft. of torque.

More details and gallery after the jump…

Continue reading 2008 Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs…

2008 Dodge Dakota

Dodge Reveals New 2008 Dakota, offers more power combined with bold styling, versatility and capability

* New 4.7-liter V-8 engine with 290 horsepower (25 percent increase) and 320 lb.-ft. of torque (10 percent increase), with better fuel economy and increased refinement – the only V-8 option available in the segment
* First-for-the-segment standard remote starter
* All-new exterior in Extended Cab and Crew Cab body styles
* New interior features greatest space of any mid-size truck, with 30 cubic feet of interior space in Extended Cab models; 37.1 cubic feet for Crew Cab
* The largest and longest standard cargo bed in its class: 6-foot-6-inches in the Extended Cab
* Best-in-class towing capability of up to 7,050 pounds
* New features include built-in cargo-box utility rails, heated bench seats, under-seat storage system

The gallery of images and the press release is after the jump…

Continue reading 2008 Dodge Dakota…

Updated 4.7L V8 Engine debuts in 2008 Dakota

More Fuel-efficient, More Powerful Chrysler Group 4.7-liter V-8 Engine Debuts in New 2008 Dodge Dakota

• Significant improvement in fuel economy
• More than 25-percent horsepower increase
• More than 10-percent torque increase

Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group’s new 4.7-liter V-8 is engineered to deliver significantly enhanced customer experience and value, increasing fuel economy while simultaneously improving performance by 60 horses to 290 horsepower. Peak torque is up over 10 percent, to 320 lb.-ft. These efficiency and performance gains are not at the expense of refinement, however, as noise, vibration and harshness have been minimized.

“The Chrysler Group continues to push the boundaries of engine technology, substantially increasing fuel-efficiency, performance and refinement,” said Bob Lee, Vice President - Powertrain Product Engineering Team, Chrysler Group. “Chrysler Group knows that while pickup customers always want more torque and power, fuel economy is becoming more important as fuel prices trend upward. Like our industry-leading HEMI®, this new engine represents a win-win for our customers.”

More from the official press release after the jump…

Continue reading Updated 4.7L V8 Engine debuts in 2008 Dakota…