9 February 2011
Stadium seating: Not something usually associated with your daily transport, but if your daily drive to the office is in a Journey, then that is how your seating is configured.
Adopting a child-friendly approach the second row in the seven-seat Dodge Journey is 40mm higher than the front creating a bird’s eye view for passengers. Row three is raised a further 17mm making it 57mm above the driver and front seat passenger.
Child car sickness has been blamed on an inability to see outside, so the Journey’s seating layout would appear to make good sense.
Access to all rear seating positions is made easy by 90-degree door opening and a Tilt 'N Slide second row seat arrangement, making the third row easily accessible.
Child-friendly, with safety in mind
The Journey is claimed to be the first vehicle in the mid-size crossover segment to offer integrated child booster seats which can seat children up to 1.45 metres tall. The booster seats fold out from the second seat row, allowing a child to be seated in the belted zone and allowing them to see outside.
Clever use of interior space includes spacious storage bins hidden in the floor, which are designed to carry a dozen 330ml cans of soft drink plus ice. Featuring latching lids, the bins are easily cleaned out by removing the washable liners.
Additional storage under the passenger’s seat and ample rear cargo space make the Dodge Journey a versatile family vehicle.
Our Journey SXT test vehicle was powered by a 2.7 litre V6 petrol engine producing 136kW at 5,500rpm and 256Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. An upgraded RT model is also offered, which is powered by the same V6 petrol engine or the option of a Volkswagen sourced 103kW 2.0 litre diesel powerplant.
Standard specification for the SXT includes 17 inch alloy wheels, 3-zone temperature control, chilled upper glove box, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring and auto-dimming mirror. R/T upgrades include leather trimmed steering wheel, leather trimmed seats (heated in the front), 19 inch alloys and sunscreen glass.
Regardless of which powerplant is fitted, there is no four wheel drive option
Both engines drive the front wheels through six speed transmissions, the difference being that the petrol version is fitted with a conventional automatic transmission and the diesel mated to a Getrag double clutch transmission (DCT). However, despite the engine coming from Volkswagen, it’s not their DSG transmission.
Six airbags including full length curtains, electronic stability control, traction control, electronic roll mitigation, cruise control, dual zone air conditioning front and rear are all standard features.
Claimed combined fuel consumption figures are 10.3 and 6.7 L/100km for petrol and diesel respectively. Overall length and height is 4888mm and 1745mm respectively. Braked towing capacity is 1600kg.
More than one-third of the body structure consists of high-strength or ultra-high strength steel. Hot-stamped steel A and B Pillars reduce upper body weight by 13.6 kilograms compared to conventional steel equivalents.
A composite rear hatch is an alternative to traditional steel and reduces weight by 20 percent making the tail gate easy to close. An aluminium bonnet is also used to help reduce weight.
Pricing starts at $39,990 for the SXT. The RT retails for $46,990, and if you're prepared to part with an additional $6,000 the 2.0 litre RT CRD diesel can be had for $52,990.
The entry level price tag should get potential buyers attention. At this price the Journey competes very favourably with many mid-sized family cars, but offers a good deal more flexibility than a traditional four door saloon.