Next-Generation Dodge Durango Goes BoF!

Next-Generation Dodge Durango Goes BoF!
Durango Replacement To Be Based On Ram 1500...

2021 Dodge Durango SRT Rendering. (DarkSky Design)

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) currently has one assembly plant operating inside the city limits of Detroit. The Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) produces the Grand Cherokee for US and worldwide export and the Durango for US, Canada, Mexico. The Grand Cherokee has called JNAP home since the nameplate was first introduced in 1993. Grand Cherokee is a solid performer with sales over 257,000 units in North America alone last year. Many questions have been raised about production capacity restraints at the plant. The Durango currently sells 75,000 units built per year. It is believed both vehicles could sell more if they were not competing against each other for production capacity.

Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP). (FCA US Photo)

Mopar Insiders sources have heard that FCA has figured out a way to solve the issue and offer Durango better chance to tackle the three row SUV competition, like the Chevrolet Tahoe. We expect the next generation Dodge Durango will move from the shared unibody with the Grand Cherokee over to based over to a body-on-frame (BoF) platform based on the Ram 1500. This is will be first time since 2009 that the Durango will be on a BoF architecture.

2002 Dodge Durango SLT 4×4. (FCA US Photo)

The next Durango is expected leave JNAP and move to the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan alongside the all-new 2020 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer (WS). The Durango will continue to be aimed at its current “street based” market while our sources state the “WS” twins will be more focused on luxury and off-road capability. The Warren plant, FCA’s oldest plant, will go through a $1.1 billion dollar upgrade after production ends of the 2018 Ram 1500 (DS) models this summer. After the renovations and upgrades, the new Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, Ram HD and Durango will all call it home by 2021.

2006 Dodge Durango SLT 4×4. (FCA US Photo)

The Dodge Durango nameplate made its debut as a BoF mid-size SUV in 1997, as a 1998 model. It continued on after a 2004 model year change where it got to almost full-size proportions. It was then when the Durango started being cross-shopped with vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition and GMC Yukon. After being axed during the automotive crisis in 2009, the vehicle was moved to a slightly smaller three-row SUV based on the Grand Cherokee platform.

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https://moparinsiders.com/next-generation-dodge-durango-goes-bof/

 

[devildodge]

@redriderbob great article with much dreamed of news. FCA is on fire...just wish my money tree would grow.

@Ryan that is a great rendering...a 6.4l BOF Durango... (hellcat)would be awesome.

Great times to be awesome MOPAR fan

 

[Jared B]

Excellent article! Can't wait to see this come to fruition.

 

[UN4GTBL]

This is good news!

 

[MoparMantis]

Happy Thursday to me. This is exciting. Time to start saving up for one of these or one of the big Jeeps.

 

[redriderbob]

@redriderbob great article with much dreamed of news. FCA is on fire...just wish my money tree would grow.

@Ryan that is a great rendering...a 6.4l BOF Durango... (hellcat)would be awesome.

Great times to be awesome MOPAR fan

Mike V. wrote it.

 

[devildodge]

As excited as I am to see the Wagoneer, this is just so much better for me. I hope they build it and sell lots so I can pick one up used in the near future.

Man, this is good news. Man, this ought to take a big chunk from ford and chevy. Many, many Ram fans have been busing those other brands...Hopefully they are above water and trade those off and get many of these.

 

[Ryan]

As excited as I am to see the Wagoneer, this is just so much better for me. I hope they build it and sell lots so I can pick one up used in the near future.

Man, this is good news. Man, this ought to take a big chunk from ford and chevy. Many, many Ram fans have been busing those other brands...Hopefully they are above water and trade those off and get many of these.

Finally we will have something to offer customers who come in looking at a Tahoe or Grand Cherokee. Those two get cross-shopped more than you'd expect. Durango and Wagoneer should deliver a one-two punch in this segment.

 

[devildodge]

Mike V. wrote it.

Sorry, @Mike V. I didn't notice your name. So glad you are putting out these articles though. Love reading them.

Thanks for the clarification @redriderbob

 

[Bili]

@Mike V.

I don't like this move at all. But we know what money pig is and which vehicle is a capacity constrained. So more capacity for WL.

 

[Ryan]

@Mike V.

I don't like this move at all. But we know what money pig is and which vehicle is a capacity constrained. So more capacity for WL.

Interior-wise, the current Durango seems somewhat limited compared to its competition from the Traverse and Atlas. The current Durango is also stuck somewhere between competing with the full-size crossovers and the body-on-frame SUVs. This move will give it a clearer set of competitors while allowing the Chrysler CUV to target the FWD vehicles.

 

[Moparjerry]

Could we see a Chrysler version or will this not fit thr Future Chrysler vision ? Great picture Dark sky
MOPAR Always!

 

[redriderbob]

Could we see a Chrysler version or will this not fit thr Future Chrysler vision ? Great picture Dark sky
MOPAR Always!

From what I know...

Chrysler Pacifica
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Chrysler Full-size SUV
Chrysler Full-size SUV Hybrid
Chrysler Mid-size CUV
Chrysler Mid-size CUV Hybrid
Chrysler MPV
Chrysler MPV Hybrid

 

[Mopar392]

They are moving out of JNAP to makw room for WL Grand Cherokee. But wouldn't this restrict the production of both Ram 1500 and Wagoneer/Grand Wagoner at Warren?

The Durango got differentiated from WK2 Grand Cherokee by being 7seaters vs 5 seaters.
I always thought the upcoming WS would be 3rows SUV. I wouldn't think that sporty vs off-road/luxury would be that much of a difference for Wagoner/Grand Wagoner not to capitalize on the sales of Durango.

 

[Ryan]

They are moving out of JNAP to makw room for WL Grand Cherokee. But wouldn't this restrict the production of both Ram 1500 and Wagoneer/Grand Wagoner at Warren?

The Durango got differentiated from WK2 Grand Cherokee by being 7seaters vs 5 seaters.
I always thought the upcoming WS would be 3rows SUV. I wouldn't think that sporty vs off-road/luxury would be that much of a difference for Wagoner/Grand Wagoner not to capitalize on the sales of Durango.

This seems indicative of their intentions to price the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer in line with GMC/Cadillac competitors while Dodge would be equivalent to (and probably cheaper than) the Tahoe. The current base Durango costs $17,505 less than the Tahoe. I can't imagine the price increasing nearly that much, so it should undercut all the other full-size BoF SUVs and become the value and performance leader.

The presumably more upright design of the Jeeps could also result in increased interior volume.

 

[Jared B]

They are moving out of JNAP to makw room for WL Grand Cherokee. But wouldn't this restrict the production of both Ram 1500 and Wagoneer/Grand Wagoner at Warren?

The Durango got differentiated from WK2 Grand Cherokee by being 7seaters vs 5 seaters.
I always thought the upcoming WS would be 3rows SUV. I wouldn't think that sporty vs off-road/luxury would be that much of a difference for Wagoner/Grand Wagoner not to capitalize on the sales of Durango.

Ram 1500 is built at SHAP, Warren will be building WS and 5th Gen Ram HD along with overflow Ram 1500's.

I've been told SHAP can produce quite a few more vehicles a year than Warren can in its current state. Warren should be able to build HD, WS and Durango easily, which will free up JNAP for more GC production.

 

[Cody's Car Conundrum]

This really makes me wonder how an SRT version would play out.

I don't know much about chassis dynamics (so forgive the ignorant question), but wouldn't going to a Unibody construction be sportier than a BoF construction? I'm not saying you can't have a sporty BoF vehicle, however, I'm very surprised that Dodge would switch the Durango over to BoF (for listed and understandable reasons).

I guess if there was any brand that would be well-suited to making a case for fast, great performing BoF vehicles, Dodge would be it.

 

[Ryan]

This really makes me wonder how an SRT version would play out.

I don't know much about chassis dynamics (so forgive the ignorant question), but wouldn't going to a Unibody construction be sportier than a BoF construction? I'm not saying you can't have a sporty BoF vehicle, however, I'm very surprised that Dodge would switch the Durango over to BoF (for listed and understandable reasons).

I guess if there was any brand that would be well-suited to making a case for fast, great performing BoF vehicles, Dodge would be it.

Probably less pressure to make the Durango handle like a sports car now that a more compact, GUS-based Dodge crossover is planned. Though I doubt they'll go backwards in performance, but handling may just stay about the same.

 

[redriderbob]

They are moving out of JNAP to makw room for WL Grand Cherokee. But wouldn't this restrict the production of both Ram 1500 and Wagoneer/Grand Wagoner at Warren?

The Durango got differentiated from WK2 Grand Cherokee by being 7seaters vs 5 seaters.
I always thought the upcoming WS would be 3rows SUV. I wouldn't think that sporty vs off-road/luxury would be that much of a difference for Wagoner/Grand Wagoner not to capitalize on the sales of Durango.

Nope. All Ram 1500 DT models will be built up the road at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP). Warren Truck gets a $1.1 billion dollar makeover this summer. Believe it or not, they don't build as many HD models as you might think (that goes for all the manufacturers) so Warren Truck will get all Ram HD (2500, 3500, 4500, 5500, Power Wagon) models, the Wagoneer (WS) twins, and the new Durango (SD).

Remember GM only sold about 100,000 Tahoes last year in North America. That's about 25,000 more than the current Durango. Ford sold about 54,000 Expeditions in North America last year as well. Now, Warren Truck is the oldest layout plan that FCA US has. Warren Truck Assembly only builds the Ram 1500 (DS) Quad and Crew Cabs. In 2014 they redesigned the line to allow 28,000 more units each year. But the plant is maxed out for production. Thus explains why FCA moved the new Ram 1500 to SHAP. SHAP is 5.0 million square feet where Warren Truck is only 3.31 million.

So running Ram HD, Wagoneers and Durangos should be easy since the plant built well over 400,000 vehicles a year. Ram Trucks sales were 580,000 last year in total and Ram had Warren Truck and Saltillo Truck in Mexico building Ram 1500s and the Mexico plant was building all Ram HD models and Regular Cab 1500s. So if they can sell 100,000 Wagoneers, 100,000 Durangos, 100,000 Ram HDs I think FCA will be happy.

The Grand Cherokee alone push 500,000 units easily. So that plant was maxed out. The Durango's 75,000 units were holding the Grand Cherokee back. Remember Durango is mostly sold in NAFTA with a handful exported. Grand Cherokee is sold globally.

Sergio's plan was to utilize all current plants to full capacity and not have to build more. Have more vehicles built at those dozen plants is less of a chance for downtime for the workers as well as layoffs and etc.

 

[redriderbob]

Probably less pressure to make the Durango handle like a sports car now that a more compact, GUS-based Dodge crossover is planned. Though I doubt they'll go backwards in performance, but handling may just stay about the same.

Sure you can. Durango is already compared to Tahoe. I am sure SRT can work their magic and yes the D-CUV based on Stelvio is still there in the pipeline.