Because elsewhere in the world, the car companies, including the European ones, still offer the kind of cars that have been removed from the price lists in this country in order to avoid CO2 fines.
Spontaneous power, high refinement, wonderful, but not obtrusive sound: the 5.7-liter eight-cylinder.
The new Grand Cherokee 5 (WL) is now also available as a seven-seater long version, but it will not be officially available here.
Saving thanks to the liquid gas system
It remains to be seen whether this gap will be closed by the parallel import; until then, the Dodge Durango remains an alternative for everyone who doesn’t like the thin sound and the power development of the four-cylinder hybrid that takes some getting used to.
After all, sufficient ground clearance and a well-functioning all-wheel drive: The Dodge does well.
AEC Europe brings him to the country; nothing has changed since Fiat-Chrysler became Automobiles Stellantis. And AEC also equips it with a liquid gas system – which saves you a lot of money at the gas station.
Engine type/cylinder
displacement
Power at 1/min
Torque at 1/min
emission standard
suspension
wheel size
transmission
All-wheel drive/power distribution v:h
L/W/H
Wheelbase/Turning Circle
ground clearance/wading depth
Departure/ramp angle
Loading volume (SAE standard)
curb weight/load
trailer load used/unused
top speed
standard consumption
tank size
Standard CO2 emissions
Price
When it comes to the chassis, the Durango is still up to date, although it is no longer brand new. The coil springs absorb bumps willingly, only very short bumps come through surprisingly clearly in the seats – that’s where the flat 20-inch tires make themselves felt.
The gas tank takes the place of the spare wheel and has a gross capacity of 90 liters and a net capacity of 72 liters. That’s enough for 423 km.
Switch to LPG behind the steering wheel
The cockpit, which is only reluctantly digitized, is quite conventional: Even with the last facelift, the designers resisted the temptation to save all the buttons in favor of distracting touchscreen menus; here is mostly still really pressed and rotated.
The most important button for anyone who wants to save when refueling is hidden on the left behind the steering wheel: the switch to liquid gas – a simple button, garnished with the five-segment display for the filling level of the gas tank.
Restrained digital: In the Durango there are still plenty of real knobs and controls.
Its filler neck sits under the normal fuel filler flap – a visually clean, albeit somewhat fiddly solution.
You can only tell that you are driving with gas instead of petrol by the fact that the “Prins” lettering lights up – otherwise there is no noticeable difference.
No noticeable loss of performance
The Dutch conversion specialist has apparently integrated the system so neatly into the engine control that, despite the lower energy density of liquid gas compared to petrol, there is no noticeable loss of performance and only a nuanced measurable loss of performance.
Acceleration 0-50km/h
0-100km/h
0-130km/h
Elasticity 60-100km/h
80-120km/h
Braking distance from 100 km/h
test consumption
Average
factory specification
deviation
CO2 (test consumption)
Range (test consumption)
And the cylinder deactivation – audible from the changed engine pitch – works just as finely in gas operation as the fuel consumption display on the on-board computer.
So the eight-cylinder pleasure remains affordable – and practicable: The LPG filling station network is dense enough, even abroad – where the prices are often far below the local ones.
And the 90-liter tank – only 72 of which can be used – is sufficient for ranges that e-drivers can only dream of under the same conditions. In addition, you can bunker 93 liters of petrol, resulting in a very respectable total range of over 1000 kilometers.
But you have to be able to afford it: the Dodge Durango is not a discount offer.
