Tag Archives: Dodge Durango

Automobiles

Report: Detroit pins hopes to bankruptcy as Motor City sags

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By Brandon Turkus

Detroit from the air

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Detroit. The Motor City. Motown. Hitsville, USA. Hockeytown. The largest municipality ever to file for bankruptcy in US history. You can add that last one to Detroit’s many titles, as Republican Governor Rick Snyder authorized emergency manager Kevyn Orr to file a petition for bankruptcy yesterday.

Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy bid is likely to be very bad news for city employees, retirees and their families, but what does it mean for the auto industry? Automotive News spoke with Wall Street financial guru Steven Rattner, the same man that acted as President Barack Obama’s so-called auto czar, ushering General Motors and Chrysler through bankruptcies of their own, to see what parallels there will be between the two situations.

According to Rattner, bankruptcy for the city was inevitable, just like it was for GM and Chrysler. “It’s analogous to the auto companies, in that you have too many stakeholders whose claims are too underwater to realistically ever worked this out with some kind of bankruptcy,” Rattner told AN. But, Rattner cautions, “This will be much messier.” The auto bankruptcies took a brief six weeks, while the city’s case will likely last at least a few months, if not a year or more.

While the automaker presence in the city isn’t what it once was, GM still employs roughly 3,000 people at its Renaissance Center headquarters, right in the heart of downtown. Chrysler’s Detroit workforce is mainly blue collar, at the Jefferson North factory, which builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. Ford, the only automaker not to go through bankruptcy, has limited its presence within Detroit city limits.

In a statement, GM said its “is proud to call Detroit home and today’s bankruptcy declaration is a day that we and others hoped would not come. We believe, however, that today also can mark a clean start for the city.” Ford shared a similar sentiment, with a release stating “The city has a difficult job ahead, and we are optimistic that governmental leaders will be successful in strengthening the community.” Chrysler, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to the city, “We not only continue to invest in the city and its residents by adding to our presence in Detroit, we also are committed to playing a positive role in its revitalization.”

Detroit pins hopes to bankruptcy as Motor City sags originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

2014 Dodge Durango leaks ahead of NY rollout

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

2014 Dodge Durango R/T - front three-quarter view

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Even though Chrysler will reportedly discontinue the Dodge Durango after the current model’s lifespan – said to be around 2016 – that isn’t stopping the automaker from improving its full-size, three-row SUV. The vehicle won’t debut at the New York Auto Show until tomorrow, but images are already leaking out ahead of the embargo lift, and they show that the 2014 model is getting even more aggressive styling to go with more technology inside and out.

Dodge limited its early press shots of the new Durango to just the R/T trim level, but this new look adds a meaner look to this model with more dramatic projector-beam headlights along with a “floating” crosshair grille and a restyled fascia. At the rear of the Durango, LED racetrack taillights show a family resemblance to the Charger and Dart, while a new rear fascia adds to the styling while also allowing for an integrated trailer hitch.

On the tech side, the instrument panel looks to have been redesigned to include a standard seven-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) gauge cluster, and it also appears as if Chrysler’s well-liked UConnect system has been updated with the 8.4-inch touchscreen found in other Chrysler vehicles. The 2013 model’s conventional console shifter has been replaced by a rotary knob for gear selection, suggesting that there are transmission changes afoot as well. We’ll have more details when the silks slide off this big boy tomorrow, so stay tuned.

2014 Dodge Durango leaks ahead of NY rollout originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Quick Spin: 2013 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD

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By Seyth Miersma

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After spending some time roaming the Hill Country of central Texas with Mazda’s new Mazda6 and CX-5 with the 2.5-liter Skyactiv engine, I got a round with the redesigned CX-9 back in Michigan. The three-row Mazda crossover comes to court in the 2013 model year with the same 3.7-liter V6 engine that we’ve sampled before (still making 273 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque), though the nose that wraps it has been updated with the same “Kodo” design language that marks out the CX-5 and friends.

I had quite recently spent time in our long-term Nissan Pathfinder, so I felt better equipped than usual to suss out the potential high and low points of Mazda’s family-facing CUV.

Driving Notes

  • A combination of a responsive throttle pedal and a surprisingly lively exhaust note made the CX-9 feel immediately sportier than the CVT‘d Pathfinder I had just stepped out of. The Mazda’s six-speed automatic transmission was surprisingly willing to drop gears and pile on the revs when I put my foot to the floor for a pass on the highway, and I actually never really felt prodded to use the manual mode as a result. Don’t get me wrong, the CX-9 isn’t “fast” in an objective sense, but it definitely feels adequately powerful for a largish 4,500-pound crossover. (Those seeking real speed with three rows would still prefer the Ford Explorer Sport or Dodge Durango in V8 trim, I’d wager.)
  • True to form for Mazda, the CX-9 feels a shade sprightlier in terms of handling than does the bulk of its competitive set. Sitting in the drivers seat for the first time, I was actually a little shocked at how small in diameter the steering wheel is. Better yet, the front end of the large vehicle moves promptly when guided by this sporty wheel, turning in with a quickness that belies the long wheelbase, and offering a shade more road feedback than is typical of this class. I’m not sure how many buyers really care about a kind of “athletic” steering feel when selecting their next kid-wagon, but the Mazda would seem to be the top-of-class here.
  • Overall fit and finish of our CX-9 Grand Touring-spec interior felt nice – I particularly liked the kind of micro-suede door inserts – if a little bit simple. There’s still more hard-plastic surfacing in the CX-9 than I’d gotten used to in our long-term Nissan, and far fewer enticing pieces of technology. Mazda is offering a new-for-2013, 5.8-inch display with which to negotiate the navigation and media controls, but the interface simply serves to make the CX-9 feel slightly less out of date than it would with the older setup. And the Mazda didn’t have the near-luxury feeling that the plusher, gizmo-laden Pathfinder does.
  • There was more interruption from wind and tire noise in the CX-9 than in other similarly sized crossovers and SUVs I’ve been in lately, too. Just a shade louder, …read more
    Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog
Automobiles

Official: Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top <i>Consumer Reports</i> Brand Report Cards

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By Seyth Miersma

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A revised methodology in devising its annual Car Brand Report Cards has seen Consumer Reports award Lexus its top overall ranking for 2013. For the first time ever, the institute broke out individual brands from their larger corporate umbrellas, meaning car makers like Lexus and Scion were judged independently from parent company Toyota. That strategy worked out well for Lexus, as the luxury brand earned a top report card score of 79 for the 2013 model year.

The institute has recommended every one of the Lexus models it has tested to date, and said that the company’s products won out thanks to “a foundation of plush and very reliable vehicles.”

Meanwhile, Mazda and Subaru tied for the second-highest scoring report cars, with scores of 76. Subaru earned praised for sporting models like the BRZ, which CR testers apparently had a lot of fun driving (naturally), while the Mazda products were lauded for their blend of practicality, sportiness and efficiency. Both of the Japanese brands offered good handling, fuel economy and versatility, said Consumer Reports.

Acura and Toyota rounded out the top five with twin scores of 74 points. A full eight out of the top ten best brands were Japanese companies, with Audi (eighth place) and Mercedes-Benz (tenth place) the only European companies with high-ranking scores. CR noted that those Euro brands were inconsistent this year, with Volkswagen losing ground and Mini doing the worst overall of the European brands, at 20 out of 26 overall.

Domestic automakers didn’t do particularly well, either. Cadillac was at the tops of the General Motors portfolio, but was still held back by just average reliability and no love at CR for “complicated CUE controls,” a complaint we’ve heard before. Ford and Lincoln were also dinged for their infotainment systems and reliability, as well as for EcoBoost engines that didn’t deliver on promised fuel economy ratings. Chrysler’s brands were the worst off, however, with just the Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and Chrysler 300 V6 being recommended by the publication. Scroll down for the full list of Brand Report Card scores, as well as the Consumer Reports press release. Or, head over to the CR website to read the full feature, and find out the granular info behind each of the brands.

Continue reading Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top Consumer Reports Brand Report Cards

Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top Consumer Reports Brand Report Cards originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News, Politics, Government

5 children, 1 adult die in Mississippi car accident

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Five children and one adult have died after a sport utility vehicle plunged into a rain-swollen creek in eastern Mississippi.

Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell says the victims appear to have drowned after a Dodge Durango went off a county road 20 miles southeast of Philadelphia just after midnight Saturday morning.

Five siblings died. They have been identified as 9-year-old Dasyanna John, 8-year-old Duane John, 7-year-old Bobby John, 4-year-old Quinton John, and 18-month-old Kekaimeas John. Family friend Diane Chickaway also died. The sheriff says all were members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

The father of the children, Dewayne John, escaped and remains hospitalized. Their mother, Deanna Jim, and Chickaway’s husband, Dale Chickaway, also survived.

Waddell says it took several hours for divers to find the submerged vehicle and pull it from the water.

Source: Fox US News

Automobiles

2013 Dodge Durango Recalled For Incorrect Seating Capacity Labels

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Chrysler is recalling certain 2013 model-year Dodge Durango crossover SUVs that may have incorrect seating capacity information labels. A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected at 734. The 2013 Dodge Durangos involved in the recall were built from April 27, 2012…
Source: The Car Connection