Dodge adds a new contender to a misunderstood sector in the Irish market, writes Brian Byrne
IT IS DOUBTFUL that anyone has ever gone into a car dealer and said: "I'm interested in buying a crossover". Yet this frustratingly indefinable piece of motor industry jargon is cropping up all the time, adding to a confusion which the fragmentation of segments has already put across motoring press and advertising.
There was a time when you got a saloon car in any model, and occasionally an estate. Since then we've expanded to hatchbacks, superminis, city cars and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), as well as SUVs. All of these clearly define their essential functionality.
But a "crossover" defines nothing until you explain that it is a bastard breed between SUV and passenger car, or between an MPV and passenger car. In the process, each manufacturer has been adding their own acronyms to an already thick alphabet soup, like Ford's sports activity vehicle (Sav), and BMW's sports activity coupé (Sac) moniker for its new X6 coupé SUV.
The latest "crossover" on its way to this island is Dodge's Journey. It doesn't have the essential features of what the parent company Chrysler invented as the "minivan" with its Voyager - more than 11 million copies ago - such as allowing the front occupants to walk through to the rear.
However, it does come out of the MPV gene pool with seven seats in a 2/3/2 configuration and a high driving position. The Journey will extend the Dodge brand line-up in Europe and in Ireland when it gets here in October or November.
Dodge is the biggest selling brand of Chrysler-Jeep in its homeland. In Europe over the past few years it has been growing steadily as part of a deliberate strategy to globalise the cars with the ram logo and the "Take life by the horns" slogan.
Though the Dodge vehicle is smaller in several respects than the outgoing Voyager, notably in its width, it may sit easier in the mix from the group for Europe. It should certainly attract a younger buyer base.
From the front the Journey is clearly defined as a Dodge by the "cross-hairs" grille and the trademark in-your-face styling. In some of the brand's models this can be overpowering, but in this one the overall shape and detailing of the car is actually well balanced.
The Journey has the proportions of a large estate that has been working out and bulked up enough to be a bit more imposing. But externally it doesn't have the look of a van that full MPVs have often had.
Dodge didn't know about Ford's planned S-Max when they began the Journey project, but the blue oval's very successful sports activity vehicle is their primary conquest target in Europe, and of course in Ireland.
The major sales of the S-Max here are the 1.8-litre TDCI, and with that in mind the Irish importers will only be bringing in the Journey with the 2.0-litre CRD diesel sourced from Volkswagen which is already familiar in the Caliber and Avenger from Dodge.
Just one model will be offered, in SXT specification and with the choice of a six-speed manual or the new Getrag six-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission.
The spec is impressive, with electric driver seat adjustment, dual-zone climate, traction control and ESP as standard, while the external visuals will be boosted by 17-inch alloys instead of the standard 16-inch wheels.
For a Dodge, the interior styling is quite restrained, though it still depends more on mid-quality plastics than a true European vehicle in the same class.
Dodge is making much of the storage space and cargo/passenger flexibility of its Journey. These include a cooler space for drinks containers in a compartment above the normal glove box.
There's also a space under the passenger front seat, similar to that in some versions of the Nissan Micra, which could conceal a laptop or a camera. There are two underfloor bins behind the front seats which can be lifted out to be emptied or cleaned.
There is plenty of room for the three who might share the second row of seats. However, the third set of two are really for occasional and small person use which Dodge admitted from the beginning.
They also admit that the VW 140hp engine is not the most refined on the market today and say they're still in discussions with the supplier over some NVH issues which have arisen in the pre-production cars we were driving.
But the motor is a good lugger, with the maximum torque pulling nicely from 1,750rpm. The manual box was fine to use, but the DCT transmission proved a really good match and would be the preferred option for many.
However, the new CO2-based VRT regime will likely make it a more expensive choice. The manual version just stays in the 24 per cent VRT band with CO2 of 170 g/km, while the DCT's emissions push the car into the 28 per cent band.
American cars introduced to Europe don't get a reputation for tight driving dynamics, but on the limited opportunity to experience the Journey it seemed decently clamped on roads similar to our conditions.
For its purpose, the success of Journey will depend on a balance of specification, novelty and pricing - the first and last which haven't yet been finalised.
But in sales numbers terms, the new Dodge will have a long journey to impact much on the leading competitors here.