The Dodge Durango is getting old, and it’s time for something new – what comes next will change everything
by Robert Moore, onThe current Dodge Durango has aged well in the last decade that it’s been on the market, mainly due to routine updates every few years, the most recent being in 2021. After recent reports from Automotive News suggested that the Dodge Durango – along with the Chrysler 300 – could be on verge of being discontinued, the internet went a little crazy. As it turns out, there was some truth there – the current Dodge Durango is on the verge of death, but it’s successor, if the latest reports are accurate, will fix just about the only thing that’s wrong with the current model.
Say Goodbye to the Unibody Architecture, Say Hello to Strength
According to a new report from Mopar Insiders, Dodge will cease production of the current-gen Dodge Durango in 2023. But this is good news because the Durango name isn’t being retired. There will be a new generation introduced shortly after and as it used to be (and as it should have been now), the next-gen Durango will be a body-on-frame vehicle, sharing its platform with the new Jeep Wagoneer – a big step forward from the unibody architecture currently shared with the Grand Cherokee.
Due to this change in architecture, the Jefferson North Assembly plant in Detroit will no longer be in charge of building the Durango. The next-gen Durango will thus be built at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant where the Wagoneer is built. The switch to a body-on-frame platform also means that the Durango will once again be able to compete with the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition. Beyond this, the next-gen Durango should be able to offer improved towing capability, eclipsing the current model’s max of 8,700 pounds when properly equipped. The Wagoneer can tow up to 10,000 pounds, so the Durango should at least be capable of that if not more.
As for pricing, the Durango will still have to sit below the Wagoneer it’s based on in the grand scheme of things. The Wagoneer commands $80,000 on a good day, and the Durango will make for a much more affordable full-size, body-on-frame alternative SUV. And, with any luck, Dodge will continue with its focus on Performance so at least certain trims of the next-gen Durango will be plenty fast. Dodge could also put more of an emphasis on off-road capability as well, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
The Durango should feature the turbocharged, 3.0-liter GME-T6 inline-six engine that will be found in the Wagoneer hybrid. Beyond this, a new crossover that will revive the Dodge Hornet name could also launch in the near future as a smaller, unibody alternative to the Durango. The next-gen Durango is said to enter production in late 2023, which means it should launch as a 2024 model.
Source: Mopar Insiders
