After sporting a very athletic style from 1997 to 2003, Durango was given a second generation whose entire “self” was just inexpressive. The SUV’s fate would only take a good twist by the end of that decade: when the pickup with which its platform was shared, Dakota, proved itself not worthy to keep in line, Dodge took the opportunity to open new horizons for it. Durango’s third generation shared Grand Cherokee’s underpinnings now, but only borrowed its much bigger concern with design; while the Jeep was focused on being fancy and crawling rocks, the Dodge turned into a great people-hauler. Great not only for its several habitability features, but also for having a design that pulls that short blanket back towards its SUV counterparts.
Since that last change turned out to be quite successful, the automaker decided to take it to the next level, rather than coming up with something else. The front fascia uses smoother lines, with sleeker projector headlights (the fog ones use the same technology), a more aggressive lower section with chrome inserts, and an upper grille whose finishing varies with the trim level. The sides feature seven new wheel designs, ranging from 18” to 20”. The rear, however, accounts for a very rare occurrence: this is where Durango changed the most. The bumper was tweaked as well, but all the looks go to the lights: following Dart and Charger, the vehicle adopted a full-width LED design, which uses 192 diodes to create that unmistakable continuous shine.
Going to the cabin reveals more interesting news. The dashboard was rearranged to accomodate the touchscreen for Chrysler’s Uconnect infotainment system – 5” standard, 8.4” optional. But some controls stuck with regular buttons, for safer operation. The three-spoke steering wheel is also new and brings paddle shifts. Behind it lies a brand new instrument cluster, which is actually a reconfigurable 7” TFT screen just like Dart’s, but offered as standard. And if you throw some more bucks, the optional rear-seat entertainment package was updated as well. Your children will enjoy two high-resolution 9” screens behind the front headrests and a Blu-ray player for the first time – the outgoing vehicle had only one roof-mounted display.
When it comes to safety, the new Durango features a knee airbag for the driver, more electronic safety systems, and an emergency-call function. All that is distributed among five trim levels: entry-level SXT, sporty Rallye and R/T, all-new Limited, and range-topping Citadel – each of them has its own visual treatment, too. Mechanically, the only new item is a knob-operated automatic transmission with eight speeds. Whether with rear or all-wheel drive, it will use either the 3.6 Pentastar V6 (290 hp and 260 lb-ft) or the 5.7 Hemi V8 (360 hp and 390 lb-ft). The former boasts a 600-mile driving range, the latter can deactivate cylinders, and both feature a new Eco driving mode. This vehicle will go on sale in North America in the third quarter of this year.
Lançamento no Brasil (17/06/2015)
Como grande destaque da linha 2015, o Dodge Durango estende ao Brasil seu primeiro facelift na geração atual. O SUV passou por retoques de estilo marcantes e ganhou uma série de equipamentos, como foi detalhado acima. Por outro lado, ele passou a vir somente na versão Limited, com preço de R$ 239.900. Seu motor é o 3.6 V6 Pentastar, cuja potência foi aumentada a 294 cv, e que é associado a um novo câmbio automático de oito marchas comandado por um seletor giratório (as trocas manuais são feitas por borboletas atrás do volante). Este modelo já se encontra à venda no país.