The Dodge Journey that we drove for a full year and 20 000 km has now received a spec update. The 2,7-litre V6 has been replaced with a more powerful 3,6-litre increasing power output from 136 kWto 206 kW. This gives it great grunt for towing as well as for coping with high altitudes. The engine remains transversely mounted with a six-speed gearbox and front-wheel drive only for SA.
The two outer seats of the middle row have pop-up booster cushions to allow the smaller kids to see out of the windows. The rearmost pair of seats also offers good space with the obvious exception of under thigh support due to having to mount the seat near to the floor. The driver’s seat has manual backrest adjustment with electric fore and aft, height and lumbar. Heated seats for both front passengers are supplied.
The quality of the leather has been improved from the previous model and comfort is tops. Additionally, the size of the seats is very generous. A further benefit is that the seats fold to form a completely flat floor. The front passenger’s seat cushion lifts to reveal a very handy hiding place for valuables and the same seat’s backrest can be collapsed right onto the cushion for carrying extra-long items. The only small criticism is that operating the middle row to allow rear access requires some muscle.
Further aiding comfort is three-way climate control – meaning that all rear passengers get one setting chosen from an overhead control panel and distributed through four vents. Storage compartments are fitted in the floorwells of the middle row and there are two glove compartments and a deep under-armrest bin as well.
Apart from the engine, what is also new on the new model is the facia layout, with far fewer switches and buttons than before. Modern technology has now been included in the form of a top-class,4,3-inch touch screen (eight-inch screen is optional and, by the way, why do we still measure TVs, phones and screens in imperial units?) and full audio, telephone, climate control and even the heated seats can be adjusted from here.
The instrument colour scheme is attractive in soft red and white. Included in the trip computer display list are readouts of: transmission temp, oil pressure, oil temp, tyre pressures, engine hours completed.
To cater for those who are suspicious of this modern trend, physical buttons duplicate adjustments for temperature, air con on/off, recirculated air and instant demist. Something that I have strong feelings on is happily included, this being a rotary knob for fan speed adjustment. Messing about with buttons that require repeated pushing or searching for screen functions just takes way too long. Unfortunately, when we tried to use the integrated Garmin navigation system, we found it was still loaded with a USA map. For fun, we attempted to get the system to guide us to Darien, New York, where my brother was born. It tried valiantly for a few minutes and then gave up. With all the bells and whistles in this vehicle, (note that the sunroof and Sat Nav with the larger eight-inch screen are optional packages), it was strange to find no auto lights on/off function.
The sound of the engine is a satisfying wail, but only if you push it, and in normal use is simply smooth and quiet. With 353 N.m on tap, there is some torque steer when accelerating while cornering and the Journey rapidly reaches 100 km/h in only 8,6 seconds. The ride is typically soft but not too much so, a bit under-damped and handling was sufficiently able for a 1,9-ton SUV/people mover. Steering, too feels well sorted.
In most people’s minds these days is fuel consumption and some testers stated that they thought it was a great and luxurious family vehicle but were concerned about fuel costs. What we noticed is that there is a large difference in fuel consumption between stop-start city driving and open road. In town you might get 14 L/100 km but when cruising it is possible to drop the consumption to 10,5. Our fuel route returned 11,9 and our fuel index is 12,48 L/100 km so this is not really a car for sitting in traffic every day. To compare this with the previous long-term test we had an overall consumption of 13,61 L/100 km on the 2,7-litre so it seems as if efficiency has been improved.
In summary, this is an ideal family car and makes an excellent mom’s taxi. Rivals include the Kia Sorento 3,5 V6 at R399 995 and the Chevrolet Captiva 2,4 LT at R330 850. The latter would actually compete better with the Journey SXT at R320 990 without the high spec level of the R/T. Another option would be the Captiva 2,2D LTZ. This has four-wheel drive and 135 kW and costs R427 500. Now, for all-wheel drive and a fuel consumption of 9,6L/100 km you might be tempted but one thing to remember before getting too excited about buying a more economical car to save money is that, in this example of Journey petrol vs Captiva diesel, for the 2,9L/100 km you save (12,48-9,6) you need to travel 200 000 km before you make up the R66 510 extra cash spend which is a good number of years of motoring.
Specifications:
Model: Dodge Journey 3,6 R/T AT
Engine: 3,6-litre V6 petrol
Gearbox: 6-speed auto with front-wheel drive
Power: 206 kW at 6 350 r/min
Torque: 353 N.m at 4 400 r/min
0 to 100 km/h: 8,6 seconds
Fuel consumption: 12,48 L/100 km
CO2: 242 g/km
Top speed: 208 km/h
Price: R360 990
Maintenance Plan: 3-yr/100 000 km
Service intervals: 12 000 km
Test Results:
0 to 60 km/h: 4,2 seconds
0 to 100 km/h: 8,6 seconds
40 to 80 km/h: 1,90 seconds
80 to 120 km/h: 5,5 seconds
100 to 0 km/h: 3,25 seconds (average of 10 braking tests)
CAR fuel index: 12,48 L/100 km
CAR fuel run: 11,9 L/100 km
