Fiat’s rebadged Dodge Journey, the European market Fiat Freemont, can be ordered in Italy starting today. Available in two trim levels, Freemont and Urban, the crossover will retail from €25,700 ($37,000) for the base equipment package, with the Urban version to cost €27,200 ($39,170).
More than 248,000 Dodge Journey crossovers and Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from the 2010MY are being recalled because of a defect that could allow the ignition key to move from the run to accessory position while driving and cause the engine to shut off.
In a notice on the government safety agency's website, Chrysler said there are approximately 32 customer complaints and 465 warranty claims for the affected vehicles alleging inadvertent engine shutoff while driving, adding that the company is aware of 2 alleged rear-end collisions related to this problem.
The star of Fiat's exhibition area at the Geneva Motor Show and the first Fiat-branded vehicle to come out of the partnership with the Chrysler Group is the new Freemont 7-seater crossover. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the Freemont is a re-badged 2011 Dodge Journey, but if for whatever reason you weren't satisfied with the first batch of official photos, the Italians have just released a more comprehensive set that includes pictures of the interior as well.
The Chicago Auto Show is the stage for the world premiere of an entire lineup of new R/T performance models from Dodge. The brand's performance moniker, which stands for Road & Track and has been in use since the 1960s, has now been applied on the latest iterations of the Charger saloon, Challenger Coupe, Journey crossover, Durango SUV and the Dodge Caravan minivan. Every R/T model receives exclusive exterior and interior design cues plus performance enhancements including special exhaust tuning and a sport suspension.
“Our Dodge R/T models give buyers the chance to stoke their love of driving while still taking care of their families and responsibilities. Driving these R/T models will absolutely leave a smile on their face,” said Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles.
Beginning with the 2011 Charger R/T, the sports sedan comes with a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with four-cylinder mode Fuel Saver Technology returning 370 horsepower and a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) performance in less than 6 seconds. It is available in both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. The MSRP for the 2011 Charger R/T is $30,170 (excluding an $825 destination charge).
Sergio Marchionne's plans to infuse the Fiat Group' portfolio with North American models and the Chrysler Group's lineup with European products are starting to take shape with the presentation of the new Fiat Freemont, which is nothing more than a re-badged Dodge Journey.
The first Fiat vehicle to come out of the partnership with the Chrysler Group will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March and go on sale in the second half of the year.
The Freemont is based on the refreshed Dodge Journey with the only visible changes on the outside concerning the Fiat styled alloy wheels and front grille. In fact, Fiat didn't even bother to redesign the front bumper to accommodate the shorter grille simply opting to add a body-colored extension underneath.
The Chrysler Group is recalling certain Dodge Journey crossovers and Ram trucks in three separate actions to repair defective steering wheels, airbags and noisy rear axles.
The largest of Chrysler's recalls involves 65,180 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured from November 1, 2007, through September 7, 2008. According to a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], the wires within the front door wire harnesses may fatigue and break. If this happens, the side-impact sensors may not work resulting in inoperative side airbags. Chrysler said it will replace the left and right door wiring harnesses free of charge.
The Fiat Group, which currently owns a 20 per cent controlling stake in Chrysler, is planning to rebrand the Dodge Journey crossover to the Fiat Freemont in Europe, according to a report from Autoweek citing inside sources from the Italian company. The sources said the American automaker will stop selling the Journey in Europe and that the Fiat version, will get its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011 with sales set to start in June of the same year.
Over the past few weeks, the Chrysler Group has been revealing information and pictures on a slew of all-new or refreshed models for 2011. Now, it's time to let out the pricing details beginning with Dodge and its 2011 model year Durango SUV, Charger, Journey, Grand Caravan, Avenger and the Challenger.
You can read the full details in the press release after the jump, but for those that want the skinny, here are the starting prices for the new models:
New Durango from $29,195; Charger SE with the new 292HP 3.6-liter V6 from $25,170; refreshed Journey crossover with 283HP V6 $22,245; Grand Caravan from $24,995; Avenger from $19,245 and Challenger from $24,670. Also, the new limited edition 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 with a 470HP V8 starts at $42,555.
The Chrysler Group's new Pentastar V6 gasoline engine will either replace current six-cylinder units or be introduced for the first time on a total of 13 vehicles across the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep range by 2013, the company announced this week.
The 3.6-liter V6 unit will be offered with different levels of output, the most powerful [for now] iteration being the one fitted on the upcoming 2011 Dodge Challenger, which will be rated at 305 bhp at 6,350 rpm and 268 lb.ft. at 4,800 rpm, representing a 55 horsepower increase over the previous 3.5-liter V6.
A new recall announced by the Chrysler Group will affect 26,397 owners of Chrysler and Dodge brand vehicles in the USA. The recall includes certain 2010MY Chrysler 300 and Sebring, and Dodge Charger, Avenger, Challenger and Journey, and some 2011MY Ram pickup trucks, because a power steering pressure hose may leak fluid onto a hot engine and cause a fire.
The Chrysler Group continues to bombard the U.S. market with new or refreshed products, the latest being the revised 2011 Dodge Journey which has been given a mid-life facelift with a redesigned and retuned suspension, a new V6 engine, a completely new interior and some subtle exterior tweaks.
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he big news here, of course, is the Journey's newly crafted interior with higher-quality materials which puts the outgoing model's cabin to shame (not that it was hard..). Just about everything you see on the dashboard is new, including the sporty looking instrument panel with a standard electronic vehicle information center featuring a full-color display backlit.
The makeover is completed with a new multi-functioning three-spoke steering wheel, larger front storage bin with side nets, newly designed seats and controls, as well as an available Uconnect Touch media center with a touch-screen display. Dodge said the mid-size crossover offers six new interior color and trim options.
