History

In 1900-1910, two brothers John and Horace Dodge stopped designing bicycles and started producing cars. In 1903 Henry Ford offered them to produce engines and the places of chairmen in the company. They signed a contract with Ford in producing a major part of the mechanical details for the new model of Ford. In 1910-1920 the first automobile Dodge Old Betsy appeared however the first Dodge was a lorry.

The original Durango was a midsized, truck-based SUV with best in class power and towing, but by the end of its run, gas mileage was not much better than the full size Suburban. Towing and interior space were not as good. Driving and handling lagged behind the Dakota pickup and soon the sales sagged. The revised Dodge Durango has the interior room, towing and hauling capability of its large sport-utility vehicle (SUV) competition. It provides excellent fuel efficiency, performance and handling of the smaller SUVs. It dramatically cuts down the interior noise and improves braking.

Now it became a very popular on Russian markets too. But talking about the full involving of this real and true “American” into our market is very early. This is because of the concern “Daimler Chrysler” what is decided to get to know better the potential buyer of the market and that is why not too many auto shows got the status of the official dealer of this model.

Design

The Dodge Durango proved to be an expectation of everybody – it remained the auto of the 50-th years of the last century, with the front wings which hang over the wheels’ arches as well as a little bit rounded hoods’ flatness, with “pop eyed” optical devices. By the way you can notice it by the massive chromium-plated grid. Durango has all the distinctive features: proper height, large width and very impressive wheels. But the truth is that it is regarded as a minivan. Though Durango is unique in size, its rivals included the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Explorer, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The interiors of the Dodge have a lot of free space like the real American car. Every person will feel comfortable sitting in the driver’s seat in spite of their height and weight. The steering wheel can change the angle of the slope and the seat is regulated by the electric drive in every position except transverse. The Dodge Durango can accommodate six or seven people.

Engine

Under the engine jacket of Dodge Durango you can find the most powerful overseas engine -5.7 liter V8 engine Hemi Magnum – the modern version of the legendary racing engine of the 50-th year of the last century. Otherwise it is powered by 350 horsepower and it is available in an all-wheel drive. The Dodge Durango can accelerate to 100 km/h in 8-9 seconds. The only problem is the expense of the fuel. It consumes about 30 liters for 100 kilometers during the “aggressive” style of driving. Although the quiet style of driving it can “eats” for about 23-24 liters.

Brakes

The dual front airbags and antilock rear brakes were standard. Full 4-wheel anti-locking was optional. Nobody has any complaints for the brakes of the Dodge Durango.

Other Features

Here Dodge Durango pleasantly surprised us by its equipment. The list of the state equipment includes 4 air-bags and ABS. The vehicle has power windows. There is also a provision of automatic heating of the front seats, leather passengers compartment, separate climate control for front seat passengers and back seat passengers, electrical hatch and cruise control. The fog-lights, the boot on the roof and the system of the automatically turning on the light make up a basically bundling of Dodge Durango. Besides there is a wonderful stereo system “Infinity” with the 8 dynamics cd changer and subwoofer with the 384w amplifier inside Dodge Durango. The cost of this giant is about 70.000$

Different Versions

The idea of Daimler Chrysler to conquer the European market with the help of American brands. In Europe everything is ready for the new Dodge Caliber. It cannot boast of the huge quantity of liters or cylinders under the hood but it can boast of its horsepower. It is powered by 300 horsepower and it can reach 100 km/h within 6 seconds. The Dodge will appear in Europe at the beginning of the next year.