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Dodge
Durango Hybrid SUV
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The Dodge Durango Hybrid
SUV is slated to roll out in 2007. Makers of Dodge, DaimlerChrysler
has partnered up with General Motors to develop hybrid
power-trains to be shared among their future vehicles.
The 2007 Durango Hybrid
SUV will roll out along side GM's Chevy
Tahoe and GMC
Yukon hybrid SUVs. The Dodge Durango Hybrid
SUV will be manufactured in Delaware at DaimlerChrysler's
Newark plant.
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The Durango Hybrid is expected to increase its fuel efficiency
by 20 to 25-percent over the gasoline only version. This means,
on a good day, with the wind blowing in the right direction
and all of the stars aligned it will achieve about 18 mpg city
and 23 mpg highway. The current Durango receives 14 city and
18 hwy. This will also mean that the Durango Hybrid will under-perform
the GM hybrid SUVs by approximately 1 to 2 mpg.
The Durango Hybrid will offer a 5.7 liter HEMI V8 with
Multi-Displacement System (MDS) or cylinder deactivation
as it is also known. An E85 / gasoline 4.7 liter flex-fuel
vehicle (FFV) V8 engine will also be available. In addition,
the Durango Hybrid will offer two-mode hybrid technology
that boosts both acceleration and fuel economy, which is
technology currently being used by GM hybrid buses. The
MDS system will run the engine on 4 cylinders when less
power is needed, but kick into using all 8 cylinders when
more power is needed such as for passing or towing.
Dodge has backed out before on offering a Durango Hybrid
SUV. In 2002, Dodge abandoned the Durango TTR Hybrid SUV
when the power-train did not deliver the expected fuel economy
numbers. This design was supposed to use the gasoline engine
to power the rear wheels and the electric motor to power
the front wheels. Apparently, though, this is now a done
deal as Chrysler-Dodge has announced the 2007 Durango Hybrid
SUV will indeed be in their fall 2007 lineup.
With DaimlerChrysler's new partnership with General Motors,
one can expect a complete redesign of the hybrid power-train
system. There have been differing reports on which company
will develop which pieces of the hybrid puzzle, but the
important part to understand is that both players are now
solidly committed to the hybrid game. The days of nay-saying
hybrids is gone and a new automotive revolution is taking
hold. And, this revolution will benefit everyone.
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