Dodge Introduces New 2007 Durango Full-Size SUV; Platform for Chrysler’s First Hybrid

6 April 2006

The 2007 Durango

Dodge introduced the new, redesigned 2007 Du DaimlerChrysler AG's top brass has never been big fans of hybrid vehicles because the company's executives believe that diesel engines offer a better and less expensive way to meeting rising demand for better fuel efficiency.


 

The public's generally favorable perception of hybrids has given the green machines an important boost, though, despite the technology's shortcomings, DaimlerChrysler officials say. And that's why the company is bowing to market forces and is now committed to bringing out a new hybrid SUV within the next couple of years. The Chrysler Group confirmed last week it plans to offer a hybrid version of the Dodge Durango starting in 2008.


 

TheDurango will be the first hybrid gas-electric vehicle offered by the Chrysler Group and will incorporate the very latest fuel-saving technology, DaimlerChrysler officials said. The addition of the hybrid powertrain also will make it easier for the Durango line to meet the tougher fuel economy standard being imposed by the federal government in the next few years.


 

The hybrid Durango will feature a two-mode hybrid system developed jointly by DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, and the BMW Group under the auspices of a project first launched back in 2004 when automakers were still debating whether the technology would ever catch on with the public.


 

Frank Klegon, Chrysler Group executive vice president of product development, said the new package will boost the fuel economy of the Durango by as much as 25 percent.


 

"The advanced two-mode hybrid system, which we will first offer in the Dodge Durango, leapfrogs traditional hybrid design by improving fuel economy and performance at higher speeds as well as city driving cycles," said Klegon.


 

"The Durango hybrid will deliver seamless power on demand in an efficient package with motors less than half the size of traditional hybrids," he added.


 

With an electrically variable transmission, including two electric motors and two full hybrid modes of operation, the drive system improves fuel economy by operating at low speeds around town and at higher speeds on highways, he said.


 

Larry Lyons, Chrysler Group vice president in charge of small-car engineering, also said that DaimlerChrysler is looking at ways of packaging a hybrid system into smaller vehicles such as the Jeep Compass. However, the Chrysler Group has not yet decided whether it will actually build a smaller hybrid, he said. The project has gotten a lot of attention, however, he said.


 

Meanwhile Chrysler Group engineers have modified the floor, second-row seats, and electrical system of the 2007 Durango to prepare the for hybrid version, which will be tied to the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine.
George Murphy, the Chrysler Group's senior vice president for global brand marketing, said the changes in the interior were carried out along with a significant changes to the exterior that will give the 2007 Durango a fresh look only three years after the first introduction of the current model.


 

Murphy also the 2007 Dodge Durango has been upgraded to include new standard features such as stability control, side-curtain airbags, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. Several new convenience features are available on the new Durango, including ParkSense ultrasonic rear park assist, one-touch lane-change signal, stain-resistant fabric, express-up-and-down front windows, 115-volt outlet, quad bucket seats, remote start, and 20-inch wheels.


 

Sales of the latest Durango have tailed off after a very strong start back in 2004. At least part of the decline has been attributed to the drop in the sales of larger, body-on-frame SUVs. Buyers have moved away from the old SUVs towards more fuel-efficient crossover vehicles or luxury vehicles.


 

Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler Group executive vice president for sales and marketing, insisted last week that he did not believe the shift out of the mid-size sport-utility vehicle was permanent. The segment still attracts plenty of buyers but hasn't had a lot of new products lately, which has served to feed the decline in sales, he said.

rango at the Dallas Auto Show. The 2007 Durango, which offers HEMI MDS and E85 options, will be configured to be Chrysler Group’s first production hybrid system: the Dodge Durango Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).

Available in 2008, the Durango HEV will link the two-mode hybrid system, co-developed with GM and BMW (earlier post), to the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, providing an estimated 25% improvement in fuel economy. The 2006 Durango with a 5.7-liter engine has an EPA fuel economy rating of 17 mpg (combined).

Chrysler will modify the floor, second-row seats, and electrical system to support the hybrid system.

For 2007, Dodge Durango offers the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine with Multi-displacement System (MDS). An E85-compatible 4.7-liter Flexible-fuel Vehicle (FFV) V-8 engine, new for 2007, is also available.

Chrysler and GM are working with the two-mode hybrid system to provide their larger vehicles with enhanced performance at higher speeds and to maintain towing capacity as well as improving fuel consumption in city driving cycles.

The Dodge Durango HEV two-mode hybrid will deliver power on demand in a package with motors less than half the size of traditional hybrids, according to the Chrysler Group.

MDS—standard with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8—alternates between smooth, high-fuel economy four-cylinder mode when less power is needed, and eight-cylinder mode when more power from the 5.7L HEMI engine is in demand.

The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8’s 335 hp (250 kW) and 502 Nm of torque provides more than ample power for towing and hauling, and is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.

The 230 hp (172 kW) E85-compatible FFV 4.7-liter V-8 engine is standard on all four-wheel-drive Dodge Durango models, and offers 393 Nm of torque. The 2007 Dodge Durango’s standard powertrain is a 3.7-liter V-6 engine that generates 210 hp (157 kW) and 319 Nm of torque.

Sales of the current Durango have been in decline. In March, Chrysler posted Durango sales of 5,317 units, down 57% from the year before. For the first quarter of 2006, Durango sales are down 39% from 2005 levels.

Chrysler clearly hopes for the 2007 Durango to deliver the results GM is producing with the redesign of the 2007 Tahoe full-size SUV (earlier post)—the vehicle that will see GM’s first application of the two-mode hybrid system in MY 2008.

DaimlerChrysler AG's top brass has never been big fans of hybrid vehicles because the company's executives believe that diesel engines offer a better and less expensive way to meeting rising demand for better fuel efficiency.

The public's generally favorable perception of hybrids has given the green machines an important boost, though, despite the technology's shortcomings, DaimlerChrysler officials say. And that's why the company is bowing to market forces and is now committed to bringing out a new hybrid SUV within the next couple of years. The Chrysler Group confirmed last week it plans to offer a hybrid version of the Dodge Durango starting in 2008.

 TheDurango will be the first hybrid gas-electric vehicle offered by the Chrysler Group and will incorporate the very latest fuel-saving technology, DaimlerChrysler officials said. The addition of the hybrid powertrain also will make it easier for the Durango line to meet the tougher fuel economy standard being imposed by the federal government in the next few years.

 The hybrid Durango will feature a two-mode hybrid system developed jointly by DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, and the BMW Group under the auspices of a project first launched back in 2004 when automakers were still debating whether the technology would ever catch on with the public.

 Frank Klegon, Chrysler Group executive vice president of product development, said the new package will boost the fuel economy of the Durango by as much as 25 percent.

 "The advanced two-mode hybrid system, which we will first offer in the Dodge Durango, leapfrogs traditional hybrid design by improving fuel economy and performance at higher speeds as well as city driving cycles," said Klegon.

 "The Durango hybrid will deliver seamless power on demand in an efficient package with motors less than half the size of traditional hybrids," he added.

 With an electrically variable transmission, including two electric motors and two full hybrid modes of operation, the drive system improves fuel economy by operating at low speeds around town and at higher speeds on highways, he said.

 Larry Lyons, Chrysler Group vice president in charge of small-car engineering, also said that DaimlerChrysler is looking at ways of packaging a hybrid system into smaller vehicles such as the Jeep Compass. However, the Chrysler Group has not yet decided whether it will actually build a smaller hybrid, he said. The project has gotten a lot of attention, however, he said.

 Meanwhile Chrysler Group engineers have modified the floor, second-row seats, and electrical system of the 2007 Durango to prepare the for hybrid version, which will be tied to the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine.

George Murphy, the Chrysler Group's senior vice president for global brand marketing, said the changes in the interior were carried out along with a significant changes to the exterior that will give the 2007 Durango a fresh look only three years after the first introduction of the current model.

 Murphy also the 2007 Dodge Durango has been upgraded to include new standard features such as stability control, side-curtain airbags, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. Several new convenience features are available on the new Durango, including ParkSense ultrasonic rear park assist, one-touch lane-change signal, stain-resistant fabric, express-up-and-down front windows, 115-volt outlet, quad bucket seats, remote start, and 20-inch wheels.

 Sales of the latest Durango have tailed off after a very strong start back in 2004. At least part of the decline has been attributed to the drop in the sales of larger, body-on-frame SUVs. Buyers have moved away from the old SUVs towards more fuel-efficient crossover vehicles or luxury vehicles.

 Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler Group executive vice president for sales and marketing, insisted last week that he did not believe the shift out of the mid-size sport-utility vehicle was permanent. The segment still attracts plenty of buyers but hasn't had a lot of new products lately, which has served to feed the decline in sales, he said.

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