The 2009 Dodge Journey carries the size and shape of a typical crossover, and it has seating for seven and all the amenities you could possibly ask for at $30,000. On paper, the Journey has a plenty of things in its favor, yet we had our doubts. First off, it looks a lot like the Dodge Caravan, which works against the Journey when considering that many crossover buyers want to avoid the minivan stigma. It's also based on the less than impressive Chrysler Sebring platform, which we have found to be just awful. Then there is Chrysler's corporate 3.5L engine, which is less powerful, refined and efficient than similarly sized engines from its competition. Chrysler's recent track record for vehicles that are less than class competitive also lent support to our notion that the Journey might be a letdown. Regardless, we tried to clear our minds of these things when the Journey arrived for a week-long stay in the Autoblog Garage.
Chrysler is recalling 6,692 Dodge Journey crossover vehicles equipped with its 3.5L V6 engine due to a wiring harness problem that could potentially result in an engine fire. NHTSA says the issue can occur when the wiring harness becomes dislodged and makes contact with the transaxle mount. Effected vehicles need to be checked out at your local Dodge dealer where the wiring harness will be inspected for damage. If the harness is damaged it will be replaced, and all harnesses will be secured with a tie wrap to ensure the issue doesn't reoccur. Chrysler has known about the issue since mid-March, but no actual fires have been reported as of this time.
The Journey recall is the second NHTSA action on a new vehicle this month, the Volkswagen Tiguan being the other, with each model having less than 7,000 units effected. Though nobody wants to see a time-consuming recall, it's good to see that issues are being discovered well in advance of any freeway carbeques.
When we read the tip from reader Thijs B. telling us that in Belgium, Dodge is planning a Journey launch promo centered around backseat baby-making, we thought it was a big joke. So we started using our Google powers to see what else we could dig up. And guess what? It's legit.
If you go to babymadeonboard.be, you'll be greeted by the screen above, which features a play on those annoying "Baby On Board" window signs that were ubiquitous during the 80s. It's paired with a countdown timer that will zero out on the weekend of June 14, which is when the Dodge Journey officially launches in Belgium. A quick WHOIS lookup on DNS.be reveals that the site's domain name is registered to someone at the Brussels office of Proximity BBDO, a BBDO partner. BBDO is Chrysler's ad agency.
More Googling led us to a Dodge press release posted on a Belgian media portal. The car is being targeted toward men, and its launch slogan roughly translates to "Become a father, stay a man." According to the PR, Dodge suggests that "everyone try out the back seat of the Dodge Journey in a little unorthodox manner." Well, that's one way of getting folks to look past Chrysler's lamentable interiors. People whose "backseat trial" is successful and subsequently produce a newborn child 9 months after the car's launch weekend have a chance to win themselves a new Dodge Journey, and the baby's picture will be posted to the website.
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Making a step towards a more fuel-efficient vehicle lineup, and reducing the number of overlapping vehicles between its brands, the plug has been pulled on a Chrysler-branded version of the 2009 Dodge Journey. Chrysler LLC will instead focus the resources on a Nissan-manufactured compact car.
While the automaker currently captures the bulk of its sales from light trucks and SUVs, Chrysler is trying to pare down its lineup significantly to cut costs. So far, they have cut four models. Moving forward, the Jeep Commander SUV is expected to be dropped next year, and the company has already said they were canceling the PT Cruiser Convertible. While the 2009 Dodge lineup gains the aforementioned Journey, Dodge Challenger, and a redesigned Dodge Ram pickup, Chrysler's product lineup for the next twelve months looks particularly bleak with nothing significantly new in the pipeline. Company officials are holding their breath for 2010, when the new Nissan-built compact, new Jeep Grand Cherokee, and redesigned Chrysler 300 sedans arrive.
According to the sprawling press release pasted after the break, Dodge is planning their largest ever digital marketing push to accompany the launch of its new Journey CUV. "The campaign ties consumers to the new Dodge Journey emotionally by helping them realize their dreams, then drives them to action," according to Dodge's Senior manager of Communications, Mark Spencer. While we recognize the Journey as a credible entry into the crowded CUV segment, we don't feel any special emotional attachment to it, nor are we sure that it'll be making people's dreams come true -- unless they were dreaming for a price break on their next vehicle purchase. Still, for those who sit at the I'll-never-own-a-minivan table, the Journey offers a nice option, with lots of clever storage solutions, save the poorly placed sat nav.
Dodge's dreamy Journey strategy is closely related to Chrysler's new "If you can dream it, we can build it" campaign, which will debut on April 14.
You thought you knew how much a Dodge Journey costs. Well, it's actually a thousand dollars less than that. Why? Because Chrysler is offering that much as an incentive to folks who plunk down the balance on a 2009 Dodge Journey. On the This Is Not Good side, it's the first 2009 model of the year to put money on the hood, and frankly, it just never looks good when the manufacturer offers cash to entice buyers. On the This Is Really Not Bad side, has anyone had a look at the things folks in Journey's market segment are enduring right now? (Hint: rhymes with "portgage misis.") Yeah. So we won't hit Dodge over the head... but we will be watching...
