Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
LAS VEGAS — Chrysler LLC has been short on product lately in the hot crossover market. With the Chrysler Pacifica deleted in November, Chrysler hasn't had the ammo to fight competitors such as the Ford Edge, Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Equinox. Enter the Journey, Dodge's answer to the question: What would the vehicular equivalent of the Swiss Army Knife look like? The answer is a vehicle that looks meaner than a minivan and offers all-wheel drive but has some of the comforts of a passenger car. The basics: The Journey, made at Chrysler's plant in Toluca, Mexico, is based on the same front-wheel-drive platform as the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans. But the wheelbase is four inches longer, and the driver's seat is six inches higher.
The Journey has a storage bin in the floor in front of the second row of seats.
Notable features: With the Journey, Dodge engineers have tried to answer some criticisms of the Sebring and Avenger. They have added softer interior surfaces on the armrests and dashboard and redesigned the instrument cluster with upgraded knobs and switches. Designers worked in the wind tunnel to reduce road noise. What sets the Journey apart is the sheer quantity of storage cubbyholes — five open bins and eight closed ones, to be exact. Like Chrysler minivans, the Journey has covered bins in the floor in front of the second row of seats. The Journey comes with optional storage beneath the seat cushions. There's also a new built-in child seat. Johnson Controls supplied the seats. Intier is the interior supplier. In Chrysler's view, storage capability is an important decider for crossover customers. Says Jim Issner, Journey chief engineer: "Storage and innovative features in the interior are the heart of opportunity in that segment, along with good ride and handling and excellent" noise, vibration and harshness. Designers avoided the minivan stigma of sliding rear doors, although they expect plenty of kids to be riding in the Journey. Instead, rear doors open out perpendicular to the side of the vehicle, to give parents room to buckle children into rear seats. After an executive ride-and-drive program at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds late last fall that included new CEO Bob Nardelli, co-President Jim Press and product development Executive Vice President Frank Klegon, Chrysler dropped the 2.7-liter V-6 engine planned for the Journey. That leaves only the 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the 3.5-liter V-6. Issner says the 2.7-liter engine didn't improve performance enough over the four-cylinder engine to make it worth including. What Dodge says: "Journey is the perfect right-sized vehicle for people who want the prestige of an SUV but need the functionality and utility of a minivan," says Trevor Creed, senior vice p
resident of design. Compromises and shortcomings: Dodge will offer a more extensive powertrain lineup in Europe, including a diesel engine, manual gearbox and six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The market: The Journey, arriving in dealerships now, is aimed primarily at buyers younger than the ones targeted by Chrysler's two minivans. The Journey will come with available awd to cater to active, youthful 30-somethings. Unlike the Edge and Equinox, the Journey offers a third row of seats. Dodge hopes the Journey also will lure customers who would have bought the previous-generation Dodge Caravan short-wheelbase minivan. Dodge deleted the short-wheelbase model when it introduced the 2008 Grand Caravan last fall. The skinny: The Journey will test Chrysler's strategy of designing cars in America for global markets. Because it is Chrysler's only new crossover, the Journey needs to do well.
The Journey has a storage bin in the floor in front of the second row of seats.
Notable features: With the Journey, Dodge engineers have tried to answer some criticisms of the Sebring and Avenger. They have added softer interior surfaces on the armrests and dashboard and redesigned the instrument cluster with upgraded knobs and switches. Designers worked in the wind tunnel to reduce road noise. What sets the Journey apart is the sheer quantity of storage cubbyholes — five open bins and eight closed ones, to be exact. Like Chrysler minivans, the Journey has covered bins in the floor in front of the second row of seats. The Journey comes with optional storage beneath the seat cushions. There's also a new built-in child seat. Johnson Controls supplied the seats. Intier is the interior supplier. In Chrysler's view, storage capability is an important decider for crossover customers. Says Jim Issner, Journey chief engineer: "Storage and innovative features in the interior are the heart of opportunity in that segment, along with good ride and handling and excellent" noise, vibration and harshness. Designers avoided the minivan stigma of sliding rear doors, although they expect plenty of kids to be riding in the Journey. Instead, rear doors open out perpendicular to the side of the vehicle, to give parents room to buckle children into rear seats. After an executive ride-and-drive program at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds late last fall that included new CEO Bob Nardelli, co-President Jim Press and product development Executive Vice President Frank Klegon, Chrysler dropped the 2.7-liter V-6 engine planned for the Journey. That leaves only the 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the 3.5-liter V-6. Issner says the 2.7-liter engine didn't improve performance enough over the four-cylinder engine to make it worth including. What Dodge says: "Journey is the perfect right-sized vehicle for people who want the prestige of an SUV but need the functionality and utility of a minivan," says Trevor Creed, senior vice p
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