A Dodge must have a bold grille with bars simulating the cross-hairs of a gunsight. It must also have big wheels under exaggerated arches and a solid, boxy shape – in short, rugged and macho.
Under Dodge’s current design parameters the Journey could hardly not look the way it does; if it’s going to be a tall seven-seater, 4888mm long, 1878mm wide and 1691mm high, it’s going to look like an SUV.
The transverse engine and front-wheel drive is a surprise considering its looks, but the platform is lifted from the Dodge Avenger saloon (not a promising start, some may argue).
That said, the design includes multi-link rear suspension and rubber-mounted subframes front and rear, so you’d expect reasonable refinement.
The main design interest inside – apart from a plethora of features whose labels are suffixed with TM – is the way the centre and rear seats fold to facilitate access and cargo-carrying.
