2014 Dodge Durango to Launch Early With 8-Speed Automatic

The Durango has been a hit for Dodge, bringing back SUV buyers to a brand that has shed numerous products over the past few years.

While equipped with a standard (and efficient) 3.6-liter V6 engine, as a truck (and a sizable one at that), rising gas prices could send potential buyers away from the Durango and into something smaller. In order to keep pace with such changes Dodge is moving up the introduction of the 2014 model, which will see a several mile per gallon improvement thanks to a transmission with two extra gears.

According to one source the 2014 Durango will launch in May of 2013, sporting the same 8-speed automatic transmission that is already being used in the Chrysler 300 and which is expected to make its way under the hood of the Jeep Grand Cherokee soon.

In addition to that update, also look for the addition of the Chrysler brand’s larger 8.4-inch LCD screen as a part of the Uconnect system.

[Source: JeepGarage.org]