Press Kit: 2004 Dodge Durango

Breaking away from a conformist crowd, the all-new 2004 Dodge Durango elevates the form of the SUV from utilitarian tool to machined elegance. Its unmistakable Dodge DNA courses through its design, from its bold cross-hair grille to the HEMI® rumble from the exhaust.

"With its steeply raked windshield and powerful grille design, the Dodge Durango is not a ‘me too’ design," said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Design. "Our goal was to create something more architectural; a vehicle that still delivers power on every front, from its dramatic Dodge grille and powerful stance to its towing and cargo hauling capability."

The 2004 Dodge Durango has a muscular definition and taut lines without the boxiness normally associated with SUV designs. The silhouette is unique among SUVs, with short front and rear overhangs, prominent wheel arches and a dramatically sloping windshield for improved aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.

"The Durango channels the design DNA of the original 1946 Dodge Power Wagon through its drop fender design and powerful grille. It blends these design elements with the Power Wagon Concept and the crisp profile of the Power Box Concept to deliver a modern execution of a Dodge SUV," said Rick Aneiros, Vice President – Truck Design. "The powerful design recalls our Dodge heritage and delivers a sense of strength, but with a crisp, sculpted look. The boldness of the new Durango design could only come from Dodge."

The grille conveys a powerful and prominent Dodge signature, with the large cross-hair as the focal point. The flared wheel arches transition the power from the grille to the rear of the vehicle and the roofline dips slightly at the rear to distinguish the silhouette.

Styling details abound, with single headlamp covers hiding dual lights that add a contemporary look and flow into the strong shoulder designs. The side-view mirrors were crafted in the wind tunnel to reduce noise from wind turbulence. The overall rear design of the Durango is clean, functional and features ‚afterburner‛ taillamps. The center high-mounted stop lamp is integrated smoothly into the rear roofline. Even the rear window wiper was designed with an angular, molded shape.

Style, Comfort and Capability
The design philosophy behind the interior of the 2004 Dodge Durango is a surface structure that suggests pure geometry. Surface sections are made up of more constant radii, delivering a cleaner and simpler overall form resulting in a functional and elegant inside appearance.

"An SUV has certain interior requirements, with space, storage and driving position being paramount," said Creed. "The goal was to create this with a clean, precise interior design that is both simple and elegant through the use of refined materials and crisp lines.

"Utility is also very important in this market," added Creed. "Our owners spend more and more time in their vehicles, so we really focused on the detail work, from the highly legible instrument panel to the unique use of customer-focused space. For instance, we added a unique, large and usable ‘fast food’ bin at the base of the center console for extra storage room."

The new instrument panel cluster features a large, centrally located speedometer and white-faced gauges that provide a connection to other Dodge performance vehicles. Available on Limited models, a redesigned HVAC control panel features the new Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) climate control system.

The ATC unit uses a dedicated microprocessor and an infrared sensor mounted in the overhead console to measure the temperature of the driver and the cabin. The new system measures ambient temperature and the engine cooling system, delaying the flow of air in cold conditions until warm air is available. The unit also has controls for the rear air conditioning system. A redesigned manual control unit is standard.

The steering wheel features a new four-spoke design and the vertical edges of the dash drop down to the center stack to divide the driver and passenger seating areas. "Venetian Blind" style air vents close flush and provide a cleaner appearance.

Designed for ease of use, the center console features a large storage bin created to hold bulky items and the integrated cup holders are lined with neoprene rubber to provide a better fit for a variety of drink containers.

The Perfect Balance for Passengers and Cargo
The all-new 2004 Dodge Durango packages the type of generous interior space and abundant storage usually found on larger SUVs. Three inches were added to the Durango’s wheelbase to offer increased interior cargo volume in an SUV package that offers better handling than the large SUVs.

Easy ingress and egress to the second and third row seating positions are improved on the new Dodge Durango with rear doors that open 84 degrees. With an available innovative split folding third row seat design, Durango improves flexibility without losing capability.

Second row rear seat passengers now get their own climate controls and a DVD entertainment system that includes wireless headsets and integrated game ports. The second and third row rear seats feature more leg, shoulder and hip room than the current-generation Durango. The second row seats also have a new recline feature. The all-new 2004 Durango is also available with a sunroof for the first time.

A new nine-speaker, 384-Watt Infinity® sound system with Ceramic Metal Matrix speakers and a subwoofer deliver booming sound for CDs and DVDs is optional, as is Sirius Satellite Digital Radio.

Also for 2004, UConnect™ hands-free communications system with Bluetooth™ technology is available (late availability). The system can recognize up to seven different Bluetooth-equipped cellular phones and responds to voice commands, utilizing a microphone in the rear-view mirror and the stereo system’s speakers for hands-free conversations.

Superior Cargo Capacity
The 2004 Dodge Durango delivers 68.4 cu.-ft. of cargo room with the third-row seats folded. Durango easily surpasses full-size SUVs, with more than a 20 cu.-ft. advantage over Ford Explorer and also beats Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition.

The distance between the wheelhouses in the rear cargo area has been increased by almost three-inches to 48.4 inches for added carrying capacity.