Press Kit: 2009 Dodge Journey Launch

Auburn Hills, Mich. January 31, 2008 - The 2009 Dodge Journey gives buyers a crossover vehicle that meets life’s changing demands by offering a unique combination of versatility and flexibility in a sporty, stylish package. Journey makes a powerful statement by blending the capability of a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) and the overall efficiency of a passenger car into an all-new “right-sized” crossover for the Dodge brand with a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $19,985 (including $625 destination).

In the Dodge brand line-up, Journey falls between the compact Dodge Caliber and the Grand Caravan. This all-new mid-size crossover offers young pre-family singles, couples and young families—as well as active empty nesters—an affordable, versatile crossover vehicle with bold Dodge styling, innovative features and available third-row seating for as many as seven passengers without making them sacrifice fuel economy, quality or reliability. Dodge Journey provides a safe and exciting “right sized” vehicle that can haul people or cargo and still deliver an image that is both stylish and capable.

“Dodge Journey buyers see themselves as more multi-dimensional than parents and want to hold on to their self-image as urbane sophisticates,” said Deborah Meyer, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer – Chrysler LLC. “The Dodge Journey has the style and flair of an SUV, but with greater versatility, which satisfies owners’ needs to transport friends and family in comfort. It also has a slew of entertainment features that makes any trip more pleasant.”

The primary Journey buyers are mature families and active empty nesters who are an average age of 60 years old. Eighty percent are married. Fourty-eight percent are female. Their median income is $75,000. Half of them have graduated from college. The Dodge Journey answers a need for these buyers who want more functionality than they can get in a car and more efficiency than they can get from an SUV.

The secondary Dodge Journey buyer is 25-35 years old. These buyers are young singles and couples or young families. Sixty-seven percent of them are female, and they earn a median income of $78,000 a year. Sixty percent are married, and 60 percent have a college degree. These buyers have yet to start a family or have one or two children younger than 6 years old. They are confident, capable, active and open to new experiences. These buyers want and need Dodge Journey’s seating and storage flexibility, but they aren’t yet ready to make the jump into a minivan.

“The Dodge Journey buyer doesn’t yet need all the functionality of a minivan,” Meyer added. “While the tipping point for a minivan buyer is typically the birth of their second or third child, the Journey buyer is just starting to think about having kids or has one or two young children. They want to drive a vehicle that is affordable and matches their personality, something with a unique style that is fun to drive and enhances their self-image while providing for their active lifestyle and family needs.”

Crossover Segment Continues to Expand
Journey is the Dodge brand’s first crossover. It arrives in U.S. dealerships as crossover popularity continues to increase in the United States. In the past six years, crossovers have gained more than 3 percentage points in share of the total U.S. auto industry. With 625,980 crossover vehicles sold in the United States in 2006, the segment made up nearly four percent of vehicle sales in the country. In the past three years alone, the U.S. crossover segment has grown on average of nearly 14 percent per year.

Dodge Journey Model Lineup
The 2009 Dodge Journey is available in the United States in three models: Dodge Journey SE, Dodge Journey SXT and Dodge Journey R/T.

2009 Dodge Journey SE

With a starting U.S. MSRP of $19,985 (including $625 destination), the Dodge Journey SE features a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder World Engine that produces 173 horsepower (129 kW) and 166 lb.-ft. (225 N•m) of torque coupled with a four-speed automatic transaxle, four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), electronic roll mitigation, power rack-and-pinion steering, a base suspension, 16-inch all-season tires and wheel covers and a compact spare tire.

Standard safety features include advanced multistage driver and front-passenger air bags with structural knee blockers, supplemental front-seat side air bags, supplemental side-curtain air bags in all rows, Belt Alert™, Brake Park Interlock, Sentry Key® theft-deterrent system and Tire Pressure Monitoring system.

Additional standard features include air conditioning, Chill Zone™ beverage storage bin, AM/FM six-disc CD/DVD/MP3 compatible radio with six speakers, a center console with sliding armrest that moves forward and back 3 inches for driver comfort, power windows with driver one-touch down feature, power locks, power fold-away heated black mirrors, manual day/night rearview mirror, tilt/telescoping steering column, variable intermittent windshield wipers and rear windshield wiper.

Standard seats on the Dodge Journey SE include cloth low-back bucket seats with manual height adjuster, child presentation feature with a second-row reclining 60/40 seat that slides forward and back a total of 4.7 inches and includes a center armrest with storage and cup holders.

Interior accents include color-keyed instrument panel bezels, satin silver accented IP center bezel, illuminated cup holders, front courtesy map lamps, a glove box lamp, rear-seat courtesy reading lamps and a liftgate flood lamp. Storage features include an instrument panel center storage bin, upper and lower glove boxes, two second-row in-floor storage bins, rear cargo covered storage bin and cargo tie-down loops.

Standard exterior features on the 2009 Dodge Journey SE include body-color fascias, bright grille accent with a Ram’s head badge, quad halogen headlamps with off-time delay, body-color door handles, solar control glass and power windows with driver one-touch down feature.

Available options include SIRIUS Satellite Radio, an engine block heater and several packages, including:

• SE Exterior Appearance Package, which includes fog lamps and 16-inch aluminum wheels
• SE Family Value Group, which includes premium cloth low-back bucket seats with YES Essentials® stain-resistant, odor-resistant, anti-static seat fabric, manual driver lumbar adjust, second-row seat with two child booster seats and daytime-running headlamps
• Popular Equipment Group, which includes front and rear floor mats, cargo compartment cover, overhead console with interior observation mirror, sunscreen glass, sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors, remote keyless illuminated entry, air filtration, roof rack, security alarm, speed control and four passenger assist handles
• Rear Seat Video Group (must have Safe and Sound Group), which includes second-row overhead 8-inch video screen, wireless headphones and video remote control, six premium speakers with subwoofer and 368-watt amplifier
• Safe and Sound Group, which includes the MyGIG Multimedia Entertainment System and ParkView® rearview back-up camera
• Smoker’s Group, which includes a removable ash tray and cigar lighter

2009 Dodge Journey SXT

With a starting U.S. MSRP of $22,985 (including $625 destination), the Dodge Journey SXT features a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 235 horsepower (175 kW) and 232 lb.-ft. (315 N•m) of torque coupled with a six-speed automatic transaxle that comes standard with Auto Stick, a touring suspension and dual exhaust.

In addition to the standard equipment on the Dodge Journey SE model, standard equipment on the SXT model includes 17-inch aluminum wheels with all-season touring tires, power windows with driver express up and down and passenger express down functionality, SIRIUS Satellite Radio with one-year free subscription, premium cloth low-back bucket seats with YES Essentials seat fabric, a power six-way driver seat, front passenger forward fold-flat seat, front passenger Flip ‘n Stow in-seat storage, Light-emitting Diode (LED) flashlight, passenger assist handles, overhead console with interior observation mirror, cargo net, floor mats, trip computer with temperature and compass display, automatic-dimming rearview mirror and speed control.

Standard exterior features include automatic headlamps, sunscreen glass, body-color door handles, body-color power foldaway, heated mirrors and an SXT badge.

Available options, beyond those offered on the Dodge Journey SE model, include all-wheel-drive capability, 19-inch chrome-clad wheels on SXT AWD models, a sunroof, as well as several packages, including:

• SXT Exterior Appearance Package, which includes fog lamps, 19-inch cast-aluminum machined wheels and 225/55R19 BSW All-season Touring tires and performance steering and suspension
• SXT Flexible Seating Group, which includes a third-row 50/50 folding/reclining seat, second-row 60/40 Tilt ’n Slide easy-entry rear seat, rear air conditioning with heater, 160 amp alternator and air conditioning with three-zone temperature control
• Convenience Group I, which includes a cargo compartment cover on five-passenger vehicles, air filtering, driver and front passenger lower LED lamps, front and rear aimable LED lamps, a roof rack with adjustable roof rail crossbars, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and Homelink Universal Garage Door Opener
• Chrome Appearance Group (available on SXT front-wheel-drive models), which includes 19-inch chrome-clad wheels and tires, fog lamps, performance steering and suspension
• Entertainment Group II, which includes six premium speakers with subwoofer and 368-watt amplifier, 7-inch remote navigation unit, MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System, UConnect Hands-free Communication System and ParkView rear back-up camera. (Not available with Safe and Sound Group)
• Premium Convenience Group, which includes automatic temperature control, air conditioning with dual-zone control, heated front seats, UConnect Hands-free Communication System and remote start system. (Must have Convenience Group I)
• Trailer Tow Group, which includes engine oil cooler, performance suspension and four-pin connector wiring. (Must have Convenience Group I)

2009 Dodge Journey R/T

With a starting U.S. MSRP of $26,545 (including $625 destination), Dodge Journey R/T models also feature a standard 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 235 horsepower (175 kW) and 232 lb.-ft. (315 N•m) of torque coupled with a six-speed automatic transaxle that comes standard with Auto Stick, performance steering and suspension and dual exhaust.

Standard features, beyond those on Journey SE and SXT models, include 19-inch machined, cast-aluminum wheels, leather-trimmed bucket seats, heated front seats, air conditioning with automatic temperature control and dual-zone control, a full-length floor console with premium armrest, Homelink Universal Garage Door Opener, premium door trim panels, bright instrument panel bezels, leather-wrapped steering wheel with steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, leather-wrapped shift knob, front and rear aimable LED lights, bright door handles and an R/T badge.

Available options, beyond those available on the Dodge Journey SE and SXT models, include 19-inch chrome-clad wheels and the following packages:

• Convenience Group II, which includes a cargo compartment cover on five-passenger vehicles, Electronic Vehicle Information Center, air filtering, driver and front passenger lower LED lamps, adjustable roof rail crossbars and a UConnect Hands-free Communication System
• Flexible Seating Group, which includes third-row 50/50 folding/reclining seat, second-row 60/40 Tilt ’n Slide easy-entry seat system, rear air conditioning with heater, 160-amp alternator and air conditioning with three-zone automatic temperature control

Dodge Brand
With a U.S. market share of 6.4 percent, Dodge is Chrysler LLC’s best-selling brand and the fifth largest nameplate in the U.S. automotive market. In 2007, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global market. In the highly competitive truck market, Dodge has a 15 percent market share. Recently, Dodge introduced the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with 35 new or improved features including the newest innovation, the Swivel ‘n Go™ seating system. In 2007, the Dodge Avenger and Nitro entered key volume segments outside North America, joining the Dodge Caliber, which launched in those markets in 2006. In 2008, Dodge will introduce its modern muscle car the all-new Dodge Challenger.