Last Friday, Dodge showed off the production version of the 2019 Dodge Durango Pursuit. This version was a little different from the first picture that hit the interwebs a few weeks ago, during the announcement that Dodge was going to produce the vehicle for the 2019 model year. The first picture released showed the Durango Pursuit wearing the front bumper styling from the Durango GT and Citadel trims, while the images released Friday showed the vehicle wearing the Durango R/T and SRT front fascia.
Now, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has updated their U.S. fleet website to include the new law enforcement package. There is no word or indication on the website if the current Dodge Durango Special Service Vehicle (SSV) package will be eliminated after 2018 or if it will continue on along side its new Pursuit sibling. FCA has posted a few more pictures of the vehicle on the fleet website as well.
Dodge did post a new video this afternoon showing the new Durango Pursuit doing some high-speed maneuvers along side the Charger Pursuit vehicles of the Michigan State Police. It looks like Dodge is taking the vehicle very serious with an extensive advertising campaign. FCA wants to leapfrog Ford for the top spot as America’s law enforcement vehicle king.
The only thing we question is production capacity at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) in Detroit, Michigan where all Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango models are built. Currently, JNAP builds close to 500,000 Grand Cherokee for global sales, while the Dodge Durango sales about 75,000 units in North America. With a new 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the works, it is unknown if there will be a 2020 Dodge Durango of the current body style. We do know from our sources, that the 2021 Dodge Durango will be a body-on-frame vehicle produced at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Until then, Dodge is offering the only V8 powered, all-wheel drive pursuit rated SUV to the law enforcement market. Dodge will start taking orders in the third quarter of this year.
