By Dee-Ann Durbin
Detroit, Michigan - Dodge is finally joining the crossover party with a sporty wagon designed to boost worldwide sales.
The Dodge Journey is the first crossover from the brand best known for its beefy trucks and butch styling; Chrysler plans to woo European buyers with a formal introduction at the Frankfurt auto show - and it's expected in South Africa in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Dodge comes late to the crossover game that began 11 years ago with the Toyota RAV4 but the European and South African introduction comes at an awkward time for Chrysler, which has just ended its disastrous nine-year marriage with Daimler.
However Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines said the divorce shouldn't affect the company's brands overseas because customers were never very aware of the merger.
He said: "Customers see us as Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands," he said. "The Daimler merger mostly helped the company in the US because it connected the Chrysler name with German engineering."
Frankfurt-based auto market analyst Henner Lehne agreed that the split hadn't had an effect so far since many Chrysler vehicles were still sharing showrooms with Daimler. Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep were considered niche brands in Europe for drivers who want to be seen, he said.
Lehne said Dodge had a solid start in Europe with the Caliber compact car in 2006 and the timing of the Journey launch was good due to the increasing popularity of car-based utility vehicles in Europe.
"The next model generation will show how the brand is accepted," he said. "It's been positioned as an underdog brand, a brand to differentiate yourself against the Korean and Japanese competitors."
Dodge aims to distinguish the Journey from the growing pack of crossovers with flexible seating and storage. Two rows of seating are standard; a third row is optional.
There are two storage bins with washable liners under the second-row floor, each large enough to hold a dozen 340ml cans and ice, a bin under the front passenger seat big large enough for an umbrella and chillable storage in the glove compartment; the front passenger seat also folds flat to become a worktop.
It's expected to be available with a two-litre diesel engine, a 2.4-litre petrol engine rated at 130kW and a 137kW, 2.7-litre V6. - Sapa-AP