Chrysler has gone through difficult times in the last few years and is now busily rebuilding with a slew of nicely upgraded 2011 products and some very good all-new ones. Among the latter is this new 2011 Dodge Durango SUV-a three-row, unibody, rear-drive platform – with little but its name in common with its truck-based SUV predecessor.

Dodge design chief Mark Trostle says its handsome new body was shaped by the same “passionate” designers who did the muscular 2011 Charger. “It’s all about proportions,” he asserts, and its purposeful but pleasing proportions begin with a 10-inch-longer body on a five-in. longer wheelbase vs. the Grand Cherokee’s.

This new Durango’s spacious cabin offers premium soft-touch materials front-to-rear regardless of trim level. Interior design chief Klaus Busse calls it “friendly all the way back to the third row, with nice, soft edges throughout.” An interactive Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) provides a variety of useful information, and the new instrument panel offers a choice of monotone or two-tone trim with dark upper and lighter lower colors. Read the rest of this entry »