Dodge

Hot news for 2010: The Journey continues to be a hit Ÿ Durango is gone ¥ new Ram HD Ÿ Challenger is still hot, hot, hot Ÿ Viper gets a stay of execution Ÿ Nitro loses its R/T model along with the 4.0-liter V6. Ÿ Higher-caliber Caliber interior but the short-lived SRT4 model is gone.

Carry-over: Caliber; Challenger; Charger; Dakota; Grand Caravan; Nitro; Viper SRT10

Gone: Durango

Starting line

n Ownership of Chrysler appears to be a revolving doors these days and while the automaker struggles with the aftermath of a financial Coup de Gr‰ce, there’s still a car company that needs to get product to its customers to survive. That means more of Dodge’s more successful models such as the Challenger and Journey, and fewer vehicles such as the Durango sport ute, which is discontinued for this model year. What has made a somewhat impractical car such as the Challenger a runaway sales success? The cool factor, of course, which just goes to show that vehicles with character and soul still sell.

The Challenger is a somewhat reconstituted 1970s retro ride available in three power strengths, from a base V6 to a 6.1-liter V8 SRT8 with 425 horsepower. That could have been the top performing two-door that Dodge offered for 2010, but new owner Fiat has decided to keep the 600-horsepower Viper around for the time being with rumors flying about the American snake being sold alongside Ferrari models in Europe.

The Viper had been on the chopping block since economic conditions warranted a little more practicality, something the popular Journey wagon has in spades. Versatility is what this tall wagon is all about as anyone who owns the smaller Dodge Caliber (which gets a spiffy new interior this year) will attest. In base trim there’s seating for five people, but up-level versions offer a two-place third-row 50/50 split bench.

Although actually influenced by the Dodge Avenger sedan (which receives some interior fiddling this year) this roomier derivation has five extra inches between the front and rear wheels and an eight-inch advantage in height, but with an overall length that is greater by just 1.5 inches. Although the Journey’s strength is economy and passenger capacity, leave it to the new 2010 Ram HD for the heavy hauling.