Dodge Journey: It's Not Always The Destination That's Important

Motoring Channel Staff - 28/August/2007

Michigan, USA — Dodge has unveiled the new Journey, a 'global' vehicle that aims to be all things to all people. The vehicle is a fairly conservatively styled crossover vehicle (part SUV, part people mover) that was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with seating for up to seven occupants.

If Dodge can deliver a well built vehicle with all the features it has promised so far, the Journey may also play havoc with Toyota's huge marketing blitz for the new Kluger here in Australia, and also the Ford Territory.

Badged as a 2009 model-year vehicle, it will be sold initially in the USA from the first quarter of 2008 and in global markets outside North America in both left-hand and right-hand drive, starting in mid-2008.

Dodge has released information pertaining to the new vehicle's functionality and features list, rather than its engine type and gearbox combination, signalling that it wants to attract family buyers. 

The Dodge Journey will be made available in 5-seater and 5+2 seat configurations and as the images attest, it's been styled with far more restraint than some Dodge models, such as the Avenger and Nitro.

"The all-new Dodge Journey gives our customers the entire package," said Michael Manley, the executive vice president of international sales and marketing at Chrysler. 

"With its unique combination of purposeful versatility and bold, youthful styling, this new vehicle from Dodge delivers safety, quality and reliability at a great value. Journey also blends innovative technology, entertainment features and useful storage, all wrapped together with an attitude that can only be Dodge," contended Mr Manley.

The innovative technology that Dodge's spokesman talks about relates mainly to storage solutions, including new under seat storage. The Journey makes available "Flip ’N Stow" in-seat storage where the front passenger seat cushion flips forward to reveal a 27cm x 22cm bin under the seat cushion. Dodge says it's large enough to store an umbrella, handbag, or headphones.

Other functionality features include the Dodge Journey's rear doors that open 90 degrees, making it easier for people to get in and out of the second row and gain access to the available third-row seat, according to the company.

In the second row, the all-new Dodge Journey features 'theatre' seating, "which gives passengers in the second and third row the ability to see outside the vehicle, which is especially helpful for keeping kids entertained on long drives," reads the Dodge Journey release statement. 

This is achieved by staggering the second and third rows at increasing heights, so the second row 40mm higher than the first row, and the third row another 17mm higher than the second row.

There are also two standard in-floor storage bins in the floor behind the front-row seats. These are designed to hold a dozen (330 ml) cans plus ice or other items conveniently out of sight.

The family demographic that the Dodge Journey is targetting is exemplified by the "child presenter seat". This system basically allows a portion of the second row seat to travel 51mm forward, so that the front passenger or driver "can easily reach to the back to assist a child in the second row".

All second-row seats can be moved fore and aft by 120mm to either bring children closer to the front seats, provide more cargo room behind the seats, or give adults more leg room.

Dodge insists the new Journey is also "the first vehicle in the mid-size crossover segment to offer available integrated child booster seats". These optional extras raise the second row occupants by 10cm so they can use the seat belts safely.

Safety issues have also been addressed, and befitting a global car the Dodge Journey gets driver and front passenger air bags, front-seat-mounted side air bags and three-row side-curtain air bags as standard according to the American car maker. Other safety features that will be issued on all models include ABS, an electronic stability program (ESP), electronic roll mitigation (ERM), and there is an optional reversing camera too. There has also been talk of an all-wheel drive version for sale, though it has only been green-lit for the United States and Canada.

Dodge's new Journey was designed from the outset with global markets in mind, and hence it doesn't have an overly American flavour. It could almost be described as having a European flair to its design.

In 2006, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global market, and hopes to increase this when the Journey goes on sale in 2008.

As the American automaker explained, "This all-new vehicle takes the practicality of a minivan, the capability of a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) and the overall efficiency of a passenger car and blends all the best attributes of each into an all-new 'right-sized' crossover for the Dodge brand."

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