Dodge Phoenix Reviews

News cruisers are parked-up and beaming pictures before 6am as the temperature hovers around minus 10 and snow flurries drift through the pre-dawn blackness.By 9am there are union workers carrying placards in support of the Big Three outside Cobo Hall in downtown motown, as the great and the good from the world's motor industry arrive for the first major event of 2009.The buzz is down from recent years, with less security and fewer journalists jetting in for the action, but still there are major unveilings, technology, important speeches and so much more over the first two days.The North American International Motor Show is more than just glitz and glamour for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in 2009 - this is the day when they have to deliver for the first time on the promises in Washington which have earned a government-backed rescue package.That means GM opens the action with a rolling cavalcade of 17 models which promise exactly what the government wants - hybrids, electric cars and regular production models which do better than 10 litres/100km in fuel economy.The headliner once again is the Chevrolet Volt, except this time it is wrapped in Cadillac bodywork and called the Converj - with the added bonus of a plug-in connection to its onboard battery system.Lexus is next and does its number around the brand's first dedicated hybrid, the HS250h, which was originally only planned for America but will now go to more than 80 countries.Then Ford becomes the second of the Big Three to present its position for 2010 and beyond, with an all-new Taurus family car - perhaps a pointer to something on the Falcon front - and the promise of an all-new electric car with a 160-kilometre range by 2011.Company chairman Bill Ford takes the stand to deliver on the company's promises to Washington, even though it was the only local not to take a multi-billion dollar loan."Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future. I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge," Ford says.Then Chrysler, which many American analysts believe cannot survive the global economic meltdown, gets its turn and does a top job with the great looking new 200C family car and a range of electrics which shows it has not given up hope.It's best looker is the Dodge Circuit, which is most like a battery-powered Lotus sports car."The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment,” says the vice-president of design at Dodge, Ralph Gilles.By now, after just two hours of the first press preview day, the pattern for Detroit '09 is set.The home team is going big on the cars it needs to make - even if Americans are still buying BIG with the drop in pump petrol prices - but there is more sizzle than steak because they have started way behind the Japanese and Europeans.And Cobo Hall looks sparse. There are fewer brands, fewer cars and none of the bold-and-brassy unveilings - Chrysler has always led the world in motor show stunts - which have been a signature of the Detroit show.“All I know is we took about 50 per cent out of the cost of our stand,” says the car boss at General Motors, Bob Lutz.“We took away a lot of the structures, such as salad bowl-shaped Saturn stands, and towers with holographic displays.”But he still applies some positive spin as everyone talks up the chances for the Big Three, even in the face of a selloff of the Hummer and Saab divisions at GM.“The fact that we don’t have any of that stuff gives our stand a much more businesslike and cleaner appearance. I think they cluttered up the stand. I imagine it’s going to be much the same around the show," Lutz says.As usual, the 80-plus former fighter pilot is right.BMW joins the hybrid rush at Detroit with news of its petrol-electric X6, thankfully with the all-new Z4 sportster to provide some glamour, as Volkswagen provides the best looking car of the show with its Concept BlueSport.The gorgeous VW is most like a Mazda MX-5, but promises Prius-buster fuel economy in the 4.3 litres/100km range and, without any promise of production, it clearly could have a future.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability," says Volkswagen.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability.”The next big mover in Cobo Hall is Kia, which shows a funky pick-up built on its baby Soul. The Soul'ster is never going to be an Aussie workhorse but will hit the Gen-Y button for America, and California in particular.As the first day in Detroit winds into darkness and more frigid weather, Subaru kicks the action with a preview of its new Liberty - called the Legacy in the USA - Jaguar runs out its high-performance R version of the landmark XF and Volvo shows the most adventurous concept car in its history, pointing to the next S60."The sporty design gives visual promise of an enthusiastic drive and I can assure you here and now that the all-new S60 will live up to that promise," says Volvo boss, Stephen Odell.Ford goes again to start day two at Cobo, with its Lincoln-Mercury models, then its back to Maserati and then GM pushes the home game hard with an announcement that the batteries for its Volt will be built in the USA. It's a boost for local jobs, more hard news on the Volt, and just what Washington will want before the Big Three report back on their survival plans at the end of March.And then there is a shock - at least for the Americans - as Chinese cars make the mainstream in Detroit for the first time and little-known BYD confirms it will be selling the world's first production plug-in electric car by 2010.The last big event of Detroit '09 is the one everyone already knows about - the new Toyota Prius.The list of 'firsts' is impressive as the car is unveiled, from its drag co-efficient to more luxury and a more-efficient battery system. But Honda has already undercut the third-generation Prius on price with its Insight, which is headlining for the brand in Detroit, and there is no sign of a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery pack.But the Prius has solar-powered air-conditioning to cool the car when it is parked, is bigger and quieter inside, and is certain to become the world's best selling hybrid. The car comes with more than 1000 new patents on technology and a claim of 3.9 litres/100km economy."Prius is more than a hybrid, it’s a solution. No longer is it a second car or a passing fad. In many households, it has become the primary family car," says Bob Carter of Toyota USA.There is other stuff to see in Detroit, and some things are obviously missing _ the Mercedes E-Class was an invitation-only event and Rolls-Royce is holding its all-new RR4 for the Geneva Motor Show in March - but the overall verdict on 2009 is surprisingly positive.Cars are still big news, look good and make promises of a better and more enjoyable life on the road.But the big question remains. Did the Big Three do enough, and show enough in Detroit, to convince the American government that they deserve the support it will take to get them through the biggest crisis in the history of the automobile? 

Like a stunned rabbit transfixed by oncoming headlights, you could see what was going to happen. So it was with the crash of 2008.But it’s time to look at the future and considering the cars at the Detroit Motor Show the future doesn’t seem too bad. Chrysler just roll over…. let us move on.It is simple maths really. There are hundreds of manufacturers; many with multiple brands and each of those brands make many models. The trouble is many look exactly the same. They have been designed by committee and have had focus groups (6 people with lives so boring they are happy to sit in a room with marketeers and useability experts discussing the name Aurion or the placement of the intermittent widescreen wiper speed controller).  The cars that result are packed with soul destroying usability and are so mind numbingly boring…. Do the opinions of these six really constitute a good cross section of what the broader buying public really care about in a car…. I like design by individual, Sergio knew so much more about what I would like than I ever did before he showed me.Except for the boutique and designer Marques, manufactures are all trying to build as many cars as possible and grab as much market share as possible. With the cycle that this puts in place there will be points in time where naturally occurring adjustments happen to re-balance the cycle and let it continue  So it was last year.Cars are not as disposable as other product lines such as TVs, MP3 players and computers. A car has a much longer life and people in most cases are happy not to replace it as regularly as they do their mobile phones. The other simple fact is that cars have a second paying market after their life with the original purchaser. Unlike the vast majority of mobiles, MP3 players, computers and TVs they get sold-on rather than handed down or put in a cupboard to be forgotten about until the next clean-up.So back to the simplicity of this problem. The big manufacturers have been building too many boring cars too well for too long. Simple.The second-hand market has started catching up with them. For many people a three-year -ld car is a great alternative to a new car. I for one would much rather buy a five-year-old Merc than a new Legend. (the likelihood of me buying a Legend is less than me winning Lotto. And if I were to win Lotto my Legend would be a true one in the form of a 250GTO).Again the maths is simple and obvious. How many used car lots are there in the world, how many do you yourself drive by daily. How many cars are in those lots. Now how many people do you know that are in a position to buy a car that haven’t already got a reasonably good car with a continuing life. That is without even the new cars being pumped in to the market place. I also catch a train past a new car dealership storage lot, literally football fields full of new white Camrys and Aurions.This whole problem was always eventually going to happen even without the financial sector issues. It boils down the type of CEOs being employed by the big manufacturers. A number have been run by Gordon Ghekos and what they have needed is a Steve Jobs or a Luca Di Montezemolo. Managers that know their market, know their brand and know the limits associated with both. Mulally though through this whole mess is gaining my respect with his management without hand outs and therefore keeping independence from the Car Tzar.Except for the personal cost to thousands of people whose income has been affected by the mess created by incompetent CEOs such as Wagoner, I am not overly unhappy about the situation. Holden looks OK, which is important to me. Ford globally looks pretty good and they have always consistently built the most interesting cars, they have kept the Mustang going continually. Chrysler is as good as dead, - oh well, As long as the Viper brand finds a good home I will be happy. Jeep can shrivel up and die as there are just too many SUVs.And I really don't care what happens with Toyota and Honda. Sorry however to all you Toyota factory workers that live in the Toyota-owned housing. Life on the street in Japan is going to be harsh for some time.Rod Halligan

If it wasn't for the fact that our environment and financial institutions are falling apart, and the current big 3 CEO’s can’t manage their way out of a paper bag, we car enthusiasts would currently be in 7th heaven.Every car manufacturer and model type that matters is currently available, or about to be. For the first time since the 70's the Chev Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger are in the showrooms at the same time. For those of us that grew up watching Moffat and Geoghan race against Bob Jane, the potential of another race series such as the re-introduction of Trans Am is just too good to be true.Staying with the American theme, we also have the Viper, Corvette and Ford GT. Actually the GT has just ceased production and who knows what's in store for the Viper, but they were recently all available. What a missed opportunity for the big two and a half to do a three way GT race series. Forget the GT3 and GT2 series, what we needed was an original 1950's style "Drive the car to the track series". It only requires three rules, the race driver has to drive the car to the track from the registered base, the engine should be sealed from the time it leaves the workshop until the end of the race and the car must be able to be registered in California. Imagine the dealer show rooms with the Shelby, Saleen, Yenko and Callaway derivatives for sale the day after the race. But as usual the big two and half’s CEO’s did not have the foresight to push for anything as exciting as this. Forget that NASCAR rubbish the manufacturers support, it’s just so not relevant.Moving to Europe we have Ferrari, Bugatti, Maserati and Lamborghini all building their best cars ever. Spyker is staying afloat, Bizzarini is on the way back and Alfa has just built the 8c, a worthy successor to the original, which itself was one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. McLaren has a new car coming. Morgan is strangely getting better and better and Rolls and Bentley are more appealing than ever. Aston is back starring alongside Bond, and Jaguar stands a chance of succeeding. Lotus has just delivered their cleverest car yet, which is saying something….Just don't mention MG.There have never been so many specialty manufacturers, and the cars they built have never been so good. We have Zonda, Koenigsegg, Ascari and a dozen others and most are viable competitors to the establishment.The Tuner sector remains strong with many companies such as 9ff becoming manufacturers in their own right. High-end Tuners such as Brabus and AMG are diversifying into hybrids and electrics.Japan has built a car to compete with Porsche. Here in Australia we have the best affordable performance sedans in the world, and Elfin and Bolwell are back....To cap all this off Mercedes is about to launch a new Gullwing.It just doesn’t get much better.It's such a shame we all know we are watching the start of the end. We are going to see regular knee jerk management decisions and we will all end up driving electric Smarts. Or Dumbs as my kids like to call them.What we need is responsible management of the evolutionary period we are in. Us car enthusiast care about the environment and realise things have to change, however I don't believe we trust any of the current senior management teams to be capable of managing the transition.Lets sack the current CEO's and CFO’s (who flew into Washington yesterday in their private jets begging for hand-outs from the US government to fix the mess they created) and put some realistic staged global emission targets in place. Hand management on to the current crop of Project Engineers, who are obviously delivering.Let's enjoy things while we can. Buy, buy, buy – now – you have plenty to choose from. If you don’t there might not be anything worth buying in 5 years.

Because basically it's got everything that opens and shuts – and lots of it.There are storage bins in just about every bit of spare floor, most of them with removable and washable liners to accommodate holding dirty gear or anything you might want to add ice to. The glove box is split into two with a chill zone to keep a couple of cans (or even a large bottle of wine) cold. And every seat except the driver’s shuts down for more storage space, with the front passenger seat featuring a handy hard tray set into its back.The secondary doors open to a 90-degree angle for easier access to get people and cargo in and out of the back.And if you go for the optional $3250 MyGIG in-dash audio/nav/comms system – which now comes with a 30GB hard drive – you can also have a $1500 second-row DVD player that opens down from the roof.Reclining second and third rows, theatre seating that lets the kiddies all see out, stain-resistant upholstery and foldaway wing mirrors for easier parking.Then there’s the lure of goodies like heated seats and leather trim for the top-spec variant.All that, wrapped in SUV styling with a Dodge crosshair grille on the front? It’s a soccer mum’s dream.And its maker hopes about 100 of them will turn up each month to take one off the showroom floor.Dodge is calling it a crossover between a passenger car, SUV and people mover.But will it cannibalise sales from Chrysler stablemate, the Grand Voyager people mover?Chrysler Australia managing director Gerry Jenkins doesn’t think so.“Grand Voyager is king of all People Movers. It's for those interested in the best with all the bells/whistles and comfort,” Jenkins says.“Journey is targeted to active lifestylers looking for capacity, flexibility and utility in a stylish and affordable package.“Not as much room or comfort as a Voyager but not the same price either.“On the emotional side, great looks and an exciting different brand. On the rational side, tremendous creature comforts, utility, safety, etc. It looks modern, is modern and will appeal to the mass market.”Drivetrains Dodge’s Journey R/T arrives with the choice of a turbo diesel mated to a new dual-clutch automatic transmission for $46,990 or a V6 petrol engine mated to the six-speed auto previously seen in the Avenger for $41,990, with the SXT only available with the petrol engine at $36,990.The 2.0 litre turbo diesel develops 103kW and 310Nm and uses 7.0 litres per 100km.The 2.7 litre V6 petrol engine produces 136kW and 256Nm. Not surprisingly, the petrol uses around three more litres every 100km than the diesel.Exterior Quad halogen headlights, body coloured fascias and the crosshair grille set off the muscular styling that is Dodge’s trademark – although it’s been softened for the Journey.A sloping windscreen starts a flowing line to the rear spoiler, highlighting the stainless steel roof rails and three large side windows. Short front and rear overhangs, sculptured wheel arches and low gloss B and C pillars help give the car a sporty appearance.Safety A comprehensive airbag package begins a long list of safety features for the Dodge Journey, including ABS, ESP, Electronic Roll Mitigation, trailer sway control, tyre pressure monitoring, traction control and brake assist.Driving The first thing you notice about the Journey’s interior is the quality of the surfaces, which are a huge improvement on some of the previous models. The plastics are soft – even padded in some places on the dash – and the fit appears tighter all round.And once you work out the sequence of handles, it’s a snap to lift, drop, fold and stow the seats in their various ways.Cargo space of 397 litres balloons out to close to 1500 when you have all the seats folded flat, and there is excellent room for second row passengers, although the third row is too close to the floor to be comfortable for long legs.Both engines are willing enough, but the V6 fights against the Journey’s 1750kg bulk when you attack hills, and it’s likely to feel the extra weight if you’re packed to the scuppers.The turbodiesel delivers a better response, although it can tend to be a tad noisy at idle.There’s a bit of body roll if you corner quickly, but generally the road manners are quite good at normal speeds for this kind of vehicle, and it soaks up patchy bitumen surfaces easily until you step on the accelerator, which can make it lumber around.The steering was marvellously light at low speeds, however didn’t seem to add enough weight at the higher end of the dial.But all this was going on over some interesting rural roads at the highway speed limit much of the time. And most Journeys will be city ones, which is where features like lighter steering will be an advantage.For buyers looking for an urban family warrior with a good price point, it’s worth taking the Journey. 

Teaming up with its in-house electric-drive production/advanced technology team, ENVI, Chrysler have already fitted the Grand Voyager, the Jeep Wrangler and a Dodge performance sports car with the advanced electric–drive technology to give consumers a taste of what’s in store.The car giant will produce a combination of all-electric vehicles, and range-extended vehicles that use a small petrol engine.The all-electric vehicles use a simple three component system -an electric motor to drive the wheels, a lithium-ion battery to power the electric motor and a controller to manage energy flow.The range-extended vehicle uses the same three component system but with a small petrol motor and electric generator for additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed.Dodge EVThe rear-wheel drive Dodge EV is the only all-electric prototype. It produces 200kW and 650Nm and reaches 100kms/h in a very rapid sub five seconds, on its way to a top speed of 120.With a continuous driving range of around 300kms, Chrysler claims the Dodge EV can travel more than three times the distance of the average daily commute for most Americans before needing a recharge.Jeep EVWith range-extended electric technology, the Jeep EV produces 200kW and 400Nm. Using around 36 litres of petrol it can travel up to 650kms, including 65kms of all-electric power.Chrysler EVOutputting similar numbers to the Jeep for fuel economy, the Chrysler uses a 190kW motor that produces 350Nm of torque. It gets from 0-100kms/h in around nine seconds.Sadly, none of them look like the three concept vehicles the American brand featured at this year’s Detroit Motor Show in January, but the pentastar bosses are adamant they are serious about alternative fuels.“We have a social responsibility to our consumers to deliver environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, advanced electric vehicles, and our intention is to meet that responsibility quickly and more broadly than any other automobile manufacturer,” said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO – Chrysler LLC.“The introduction of the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles provides a glimpse of the very near future, and demonstrates that we are serious and well along in the development of bringing electric vehicles to market.“We’re not ready to announce what our first electric vehicle production model will be, but we are developing a full portfolio of electric vehicles and range-extended electric vehicles for production.This technology will be applied to front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive platforms over the next several years.”  

The all-new Dodge Journey is designed to blend the practicality of a people mover, the flexibility of an SUV and the overall efficiency of a passenger car.

The all-new Dodge Journey is designed to blend the practicality of a people mover, the flexibility of an SUV and the overall efficiency of a passenger car.The Journey will arrive in Australia with a 139kW/258Nm 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine mated to a six speed automatic transmission as standard across the range.Also on offer will be a 103kW/310Nm 2.0-litre direct-injection turbo diesel engine -- which uses high-pressure fuel injection, a variable geometry turbocharger and four valves per cylinder -- matched to a Chrysler-Getrag six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is the first application of this six-speed automatic transmission, which Dodge says is expected to deliver a fuel economy improvement of up to six per cent compared to a conventional automatic transmission.Flexible seating and storage combinations include standard seven-passenger seating with spacious cargo room and all the safety equipment consumers expect from Dodge. Seven-passenger seating and spacious storage bins -- hidden in the floor and under the front passenger seat cushion -- are standard on all models.The Journey’s safety list includes standard multi-stage front driver and passenger air bags, front-seat-mounted side air bags, three-row side-curtain air bags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM).Comfort and practical features include second and third row theatre seating that gives passengers – especially children – a better view. The second row also has stadium Tilt ’N Slide function, that means with the push of a single lever on the side of the seat back, the seat cushions easily fold upward and the seat slides forward. The 50/50-split-folding third-row seat provides enough room for two passengers on an as needed basis. The seatback reclines six degrees to make the ride even more comfortable. A rear in-floor hidden storage bin located behind the third-row seat is standard on all models.Model line-upDodge Journey SXT - 2.7L petrol V6 and six speed automaticDodge Journey R/T - 2.7L petrol V6 and six speed automaticDodge Journey R/T - CRD 2L turbo diesel and DCT six speed automatic 

That's the case for Queenslander Graham Copeland, who is lining up for his 10th crack at Australia's ultimate tarmac rally next month.Copeland has won his Classic class at Targa once and has finished on the podium in the overall Classic category four times, driving a variety of vehicles.He has driven Triumph TR4s and TR8s, and more recently moved to Datsuns, but this year sees a different challenge emerging.“I was hoping to drive my 1938 Dodge Speedster but that will now have to wait until 2009,” he said.“I'll be co-driving this year in a rare Bizzarini GT America.”Copeland will be sitting beside successful circuit racing star, Wayne Park, who has won numerous Queensland and Australian championships, and has also driven at the Bathurst 1000 four times, with a fifth place his best result.“I find Targa is quite addictive,” Copeland said.“I'm really looking forward to teaming up with him Wayne this year. Targa is like no other event.“The roads are unbelievable, the organisers do a terrific job and the public are really supportive of the event. Targa is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”The 1967 Bizzarini is a valuable piece of machinery that is certain to create enormous spectator interest.With upgraded shock absorbers and a bit of sorting and tuning by Park's Brisbane automotive business, the car is now a real contender in the Classic class.“The Bizzarini GT America is a very rare car and it is even rarer to see one competing in full competition in events like Targa,” Copeland said.“But the car's owner, Rob Sherrard, believes in using them as they were meant to be used, not wrapped in cloth in some museum.”The 17th Targa Tasmania, featuring dozens of exotic cars, starts on April 15, taking the record-breaking field of 305 entries along some of the best rally roads in the country, before the grand finish at Wrest Point on April 20. 

Surrounded by hybrid and fuel cell cars of every type and size the stars of the annual Big Apple motorfest remain the muscle cars.

Surrounded by hybrid and fuel cell cars of every type and size the stars of the annual Big Apple motorfest remain the muscle cars.