Fit-for-all-seasons family-oriented Durango

Many car shoppers in Nigeria today are not very familiar with the name Dodge the way they are with other established brands.  The brand under the Weststar Associates franchise in the country is relatively new to customers, but we must admit, the American brand is gradually generating attention in the mind of car buyers irrespective of gender or age.

Dodge Durango seats up to seven and has standard rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional. A 3.6-liter V6 engine is standard, while a 5.7-liter V8 is optional. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard.

It comes in four trims: SXT, Limited, Citadel and R/T and was last fully redesigned for the 2011 model year and sees few changes for 2015. As a result, this overview uses applicable research and reviews from the 2011 through 2015 model years.

Admittedly, it has continued to appeal to many car freaks since it hit the streets as a 1998 model. The folks at Chrysler blew the redesign (2003) when they bulked it up, put a Mack truck face on it and turned it into a genuine full-size SUV.

But, when full-size SUV sales tapered off, the third generation Durango returned to a sleeker design that brought back memories of the classic. For this year, this specification is a sharper looking than ever, with its rugged front end and squinty, mischievous looking headlamps and all-new “racetrack” tail lights that span the rear like its racy cousin, the Charger.

A new 8-speed transmission offers up smooth, decisive shifts and improves a tad of mileage. An already elegant  interior has been updated and now includes an optional 8.4-inch touchsreen.

The Dodge Durango remains an odd one to classify: It is smaller and better handling than the big guys like Ford Expedition, and Chevy Tahoe, yet bigger and more of a brute than the front-wheel-drive mid-sized SUVs  such as Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer.

Riding on a stretched unit-body platform of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango is well-behaved on the road. It has light steering feel, which adds to the ease of parking but subtracts on road feel at higher speeds.

Durango offers both V-6 and V-8 engines, though the all-wheel-drive system is only available on the V-6. The 3.6-liter puts out 290 horses and 260 pound-feet of torque. While low end acceleration won’t cramp up necks, it delivers plenty of passing power.

It is fine for most families who are conveying kids, sports equipment and luggage. But leave the heavy lifting to the 5.7pliter V-8, which flaunts 390 horsepower and a whopping 390 pound-feet of torque.

Prior to this period, mileage analysis have never been pretty  better with the Durango, but the EPA rates them slightly improved this year at 17mph in the city, 24 mph for highway cruising for the V-8, 18 city,25 highway for the V-6.

But here is a piece of good news. New for 2014 is an Eco mode which lowers the throttle calibration and offers earlier upshifts to conserve a few drops of fuel. This is in addition to a cylinder deactivation system on the V-8 idles 4 cylinders when they are not needed.

Braking is firm and responsive, and highway rides are comfortable especially in the Citadel with its less-sporty suspension. Inside, the materials used are top-flight and have a quality feel.

There is an all-new instrument panel and the larger touch-screen display is bright and attractive plus and one of the most user-friendly-systems in the industry at the moment. Still, the real attraction for many families will be the dual entertainment screens in the second row.

Front seats are also roomy and feel comfortable for occupants, as are the optional second-row captain chairs. The rear seating space and expanded and are made easier to accommodate occupants with Durango’s fold and tumble captain’s chairs.

Still, adults will want to ride for long back there as is the case with most third-row Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). There are some industry analysts who think that as big as Durango feels and looks, it does not offer the same amount of cargo space when compared to some competitors. With second and third row folded down, the vehicle can cart 84.5cubic feet of stuff.

Every Durango gets ABS, traction and stability control, plus full-length side curtain airbags. Rear-view camera and parking sensors are standard on all but the base trim. A blind-spot warning system is available. The technology grouping includes a forward collision warning and mitigation system that will apply brakes to avoid an accident.

MIKE OCHONMA