Walking towards the Dodge Journey for the first time, Car Showroom was impressed by the contemporary American style of this 7 seat wagon.
After-all American manufacturers have been responsible for some of the world’s best MPVs over the years so why should Australian customers be limited to Asian-sourced vehicles?
We like the Dodge Journey very much but there is non denying it faces stiff competition from vehicles sold by Japanese and Korean rivals.
Journey has two specification levels – the entry level SXT which is powered by a 2.7-litre V6 engine or the R/T which offers a choice of the V6 petrol or 2.0-litre CRD turbo-diesel. The V6 petrol delivers 136kW of power at 5500 rpm and peak torque of 256Nm at 4000 rpm. For diesel fans, Dodge offers 103kW at 4000 rpm and 310 Nm at 1750 rpm.Tarnsmission choices are six-speed automatic or six-speed DSG for the diesel.
Inside and out, the Journey presents an imposing vehicle and has real ‘cred’ on the streets. Inside the three seat rows rise from front to rear like a sports stadium – Dodge says thei improved visibility counters the effects of motions sickness – a problem families can appreciate.
Versatlity is the key word for the interior – unusually, even the front passenger seat folds flat to push load carrying capacity to the max. Very impressively the Journey has so many storage crevices and boxes we lost count (including jumbo boxes under the second seat row with removable, washable plastic liners to store wet drink bottles or even muddy ski boots etc).
Safety is also prominent – including six airbags, electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes to name just a few
