The Dodge Brand continues Chrysler Group's vehicle momentum with the new 2011 Dodge Journey – designed to be a mid-size crossover with “right sized” proportions for today's family that wants it all

For 2011, Dodge takes what was good and makes it better. The Dodge Journey receives a major overhaul with a completely redesigned and retuned suspension, a new V-6 engine and a new interior with room from up to five- to seven-passenger seating.

And that's not all.

Journey also features the Chrysler Group's new PowerNet electrical architecture: touch-screen command center, Uconnect Touch. The Uconnect Touch combines everything from navigation to dual-zone climate controls to the ability to check fuel prices.

Chrysler Group engineers improved routine ride handling in the 2011 Dodge Journey by re-engineering the suspension geometry, adding new, improved premium tires and redesigning the steering for a more precise and coordinated response.

With 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2011 Dodge Journey is equipped with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine that delivers a 20 percent boost in power compared with the V-6 engine it replaces.

Drivers also will be treated to a smooth, quiet ride. Engineers reduced noise, vibration and harshness by installing new, premium sound-deadening treatments and insulation throughout the vehicle.

Most rewarding surprise

But perhaps the most rewarding surprise is Journey's new interior. A beautifully crafted one-piece instrument panel sets the tone. A new, larger cluster with standard electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) is positioned in the center of the new gauges. It's a full-color display backlit in Dodge red lights, giving it a soft glow unlike any in the segment.

 
New, integrated center stack bezels are less angular and more sculpted, and designers softened the radius to make more room for the driver's knees. The heating and cooling outlets are also redesigned to make them better looking and better functioning.

 
The center console gets a lot of extra cushion on the tilt-and-slide armrest. Lift the lid, and there's a larger center storage bin with a 12-volt outlet and USB port where owners can hook up their MP3/iPod charging connections and hide them away.

Journey also is loaded with an abundance of safety and security features, including:

• standard advanced multi-stage front passenger air bags,
• active head restraints,
• electronic stability control (ESC) with all-speed traction control,
• electronic roll mitigation and brake assist,
• new driver-side knee blocker air bag,
• supplemental side-curtain air bags covering all three rows,
• supplemental front-seat-mounted side air bags,
• four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes,
• LATCH child seat anchor system, and
• trailer sway control.

The Dodge Journey is built at Chrysler Group LLC's Toluca Assembly Plant in Toluca, Mexico. It will arrive in U.S. dealerships during fourth quarter of 2010.