2009 Dodge Journey

STORY TOOLS
Print this	Save this	Digg this
Email this	Most popular	del.icio.us

Why on God's green earth Dodge would choose a name like Journey for its 2009 people mover is beyond us. Maybe some company still holds rights to the name REO Speedwagon. The 2009 Dodge Foghat has a nice ring to it.

But a name is a funny thing. Predictably, the New Chrysler calls its 2009 Dodge Journey a crossover, or a right-size crossover, or whatever. The company says the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are the Journey's primary competitors. But the truth is, the Journey is a mini-minivan, which we'll all see when this vehicle is officially unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.

A Down-Size Caravan
Have a look at the thing. If someone short was standing next to it, you could easily be fooled into thinking it's a 2008 Dodge Caravan. It shares almost the same proportions. It's a squared-off, bluff-sided two-box thing: basically a Caravan without sliding rear doors.

It is decidedly unsexy. But it's an honest utility vehicle. It is intended to do what it appears it was intended to do. That is, move a goodly number of people and their stuff easily, without a great deal of fuss — or even fun, really.

In a curious moment of candor, one Dodge employee tells us that the Journey is for folks who have moved beyond trying to attract a mate, but are not yet resigned to the Desitin-scented world of the family minivan. (Dodge might want to refine this sentiment if it intends to use it as a marketing slogan.)

Refreshing Features
Based on the same platform as the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger midsize sedans and sharing a lineup of four-cylinder and V6 powertrains from these cars as well, the Journey is packed with interior gimmicks, just like a minivan. How would you like two deep wells in the rear floor, each capable of carrying 12 cans of soda, plus ice? Sounds refreshing to us.

If that's not enough hidden-compartment space for you, the Journey also comes with a storage bin underneath the front passenger seat. Flip up the bottom cushion and you've got a nearly 11-by-9-inch bin to store your purse, planner, umbrella, contraband, or whatever. Predictably, Dodge has a snappy name for this: Flip 'N Stow.

Like its sedan cousins, the Journey will also be available with Chill Zone, a bin within the instrument panel that is cooled by a vent from the air-conditioning to keep drinks cool. (Dodge apparently believes its buyers will be quite thirsty.) And for no real reason whatsoever, the cupholders are illuminated with green or blue light.

The Journey comes standard as a five-seater, but an optional third row of seats can accommodate another two folks. Even Dodge admits, however, that the third row should be for "occasional use," implying some tight dimensions. At least accessing these rearmost seats should be reasonably easy thanks to second-row seats that slide forward and tip out of the way with the use of just one lever. This is, as you might have guessed, called Tip 'N Slide.

The Journey can be optioned up with a rearview backup camera, navigation system, rear-seat entertainment system, Sirius Satellite Radio, remote start, Bluetooth connectivity and a hard drive for storage of digital music.

Stretched and Folded
The Journey's underpinnings are pretty much standard-issue modern Chrysler. The MacPherson-strut front suspension and the multilink independent rear suspension come from the Avenger/Sebring duo, although the Journey rides on a wheelbase that's almost 5 inches longer than the midsize sedans.

The standard engine is a 173-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder backed by a four-speed automatic. This powertrain is offered on the SE model and comes only in front-wheel-drive Journey models. The SXT trim comes with a flex-fuel 2.7-liter V6 that makes 186 hp. It, too, is bolted to a four-speed automatic.

The top of the line is the Journey R/T. It's powered by a 235-hp 3.5-liter V6 and uses a six-speed automatic. As with the Avenger sedan, this is the only powertrain a buyer can opt for with the all-wheel-drive system. Identical to the Sebring/Avenger system, the all-wheel drive is of the on-demand variety, so don't get any ideas about taking the kids out on the Rubicon Trail.

Meant for Both America and Europe
It's no coincidence that the 2009 Dodge Journey is being introduced at the Frankfurt show. The company sees a ready market in Europe for this relatively small family vehicle. And it will be offered to diesel-loving, shift-happy Europe with a 2.0-liter diesel engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic transaxle.

American-market Journeys will go on sale in the first quarter of 2008. Right- and left-hand-drive versions of the Journey will go on sale in markets outside North America sometime in the summer of '08. Dodge has not set pricing yet, but based on the cost of the Avenger and Dodge's target competitors, we'd expect a base-level SE to run right around $20,000 and an R/T with all-wheel drive to list somewhere around $27,000. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit