The 2014 Dodge Durango will feature an eight-speed automatic transmission, updated interior and a few exterior tweaks. Rumors that the Durango was going away, or that it would become a new seven-seat Jeep model, seem to be premature. Chrysler Group LLC is putting on a full court press and spending real money to update the 2014 Dodge Durango.
Roman and I find the Durango one of the best looking, best driving seven seat SUVs out there. It needed better fuel management and (for people like me) a little bit more off road ability. Nevertheless, the Durango is it a looker and a dream to drive.
Read our 2013 Dodge Durango review (here).
Changes seem to be fairly straightforward. The main exterior updates consist of a more aggressive nose, a tail that is more akin to other Dodge tushies and more sculpted looking trim. The 20-inch, black wheels complete the bad-ass looking exterior. The interior is pretty much the same, but the center stack is built to accept the 8.4-inch screen along with the smaller five-inch base screen.
Here’s the big news for folks who wanted a little bit more off highway ability: The V8 version of the 2014 Dodge Durango has an available MP 3022 transfer case with a lockable 2.72 low-range ratio. That’s not going to make the Durango a boulder crusher, but it will help off road. Thanks to Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road for that information.
The eight-speed transmission on the 2014 Dodge Durango is said to increase mpg by up to nine percent. That’s pretty good considering the current model gets 16 city/23 hwy with the V6 and 14 city/20 hwy – figures that drop by 1 mpg with AWD. So, Chrysler Group LLC is predicting up to a best-in-class 600 miles per tank.
Nothing changes under the hood of the 2014 Dodge Durango. The Pentastar V6 still makes 290 horsepower and 260 lbs-feet of torque, which is competitive, but more torque would be welcome. The HEMI V8 is the one for man-man, cowboys and meat eaters as it makes 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. It’s the one you want. Towing remains the same with 6,200 with the V6 and up to 7,400 lbs with the HEMI.
The 2014 Dodge Durango is due to hit this fall. No mention of prices as of yet; however, with the current base price around $30,000, and loaded current Durangos going for up to the high $40,000 mark – I suspect Dodge wants to keep people happy by keeping the prices close. Still, there may be a bump in price as the eight-speed automatic transmission in all 2014 Dodge Durangos is an expensive upgrade.
I’m excited to play with all of the 2014 Dodge Durango models. Check out this video with Roman and I taking one off road!
