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Dodge gives Durango a face-lift, preps for hybrid (http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060405/REG/60404010/1003&refsect=#)

Mary Connelly - Automotive News - April 5, 2006

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dodge_Durango_Hybrid.jpg

DETROIT - On Wednesday, Dodge will show a face-lifted 2007 Durango that goes on sale in August.

Engineers also have prepped the SUV for a hybrid engine that will be offered in the 2008 model year.

The reworked 2007 model will be shown at the Dallas Auto Show on Wednesday. The fascia, grille, hood, headlamps, fenders and wheels are redone. Ten features are being added, including an electronic stability program, tire pressure monitoring system, rear park assist and a one-touch lane-change signal, Dodge says.

Durango sales are off 39.4 percent to 20,090 units in the first quarter of 2006, compared with the same period a year ago.

The updated model is needed in showrooms, says Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler group executive vice president of sales and marketing.

"Durango probably could do a little better. It had a very strong first two years," Eberhardt says.

The 2008 Durango will be offered with a hybrid powertrain. Engineers modified the floor, second-row seats and electrical system in the 2007 model to pave the way for the new engine.

The Durango Hybrid Electric Vehicle will be powered by a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine. Dodge anticipates a 25 percent fuel-economy boost. The hybrid powertrain was jointly developed by DaimlerChrysler AG, General Motors and the BMW Group.

The 2007 Durango equipped with a 4.7-liter V-8 is E85 ethanol compatible, earning a flexible-fuel vehicle designation, the company says. Drivers can operate the vehicle on E85 ethanol, gasoline or any mixture of the two, Dodge says. The E85-compatible engine is standard on all four-wheel-drive Durangos.

So it's going to go from 12mpg to 15mpg. Yipppee!

I have this angst about the hybrid option is vehicle like this. Yes, there is still a large market for these - mainly because so many drivers have a psychological craving for them, even if they have no utilitarian need whatsoever. The Durango was singled out in the book The High and Mighty as intentionally designed to have that "bad a$$" look. At GH, the mention of a hybrid Escalade got one guy turning into an absurd apologist for people who love this class of vehicles.

Hybrids and other advance powerplants are not a silver bullet. Probably most members here advocate fuel efficient vehicles that pragmatically meet their daily needs. I think hybrid buses and FedEX delivery vehicles are a great idea. It really strikes a nerve with me that a lot of the public is so addicted to power vehicles.

i like the height though, that's the ONLY thing I like about suv's

and maybe the comfort too, but ya the mileage does indeed lick.

Hi All:

___This may be the first real world test of the GM Dual-Mode given the tech was shared with the DCC, GM, and BMW partnership. It will be a race to see whose hybrid comes out first? With that, who knows? GM is going to be pushing a bit harder then DCC did but even with an Atkinson intake and DoD with the Dual_Mode tranny and hybrid system, I do not think much over 24 highway is in the cards for the 07 Tahoe Hybrid? The non-hybrid 2WD Durango is such a pig to begin with even though it is EPA rated at 15/20, I would be surprised if the hybrid offers much over 23 – 24 mpg to the average driver? 45 mpg + for a segment and a 33 + lmpg should be in reach of a hypermiler of course ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne