Dodge Releases Images of New Durango

While cross-town rivals General Motors and Ford have introduced a slew of new products, Chrysler and its brands have been left pretty much with their current lineups.

Remarkably, the financial situation for the automaker has begun to turn around even without a new lineup. This is surprising given the industry consensus of Chrysler being so weak.

Help is on the way though, in the form of new product. The new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the redesigned Dodge Durango are all-new vehicles.

Both are based on the same platform. After teasing us for a while, Dodge has released a whole bunch of new images showing the exterior of the big crossover.

In comparison with the current Durango - well, there is no comparison. The new Durango is a vast improvement over its predecessor.

The front end is truckish, yet it still manages to be sleeker and more refined, retaining Dodge's signature bold American look. The Durango is a unibody, and its engine options include a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8.

Something that helps set the Durango and its Jeep counterpart the Grand Cherokee apart is its towing capacity. When equipped with the HEMI V-8, the Durango is rated at 7,400 pounds.

The standard V-6 offers a capacity of 6,200 lbs. That makes the Durango the clear choice in the segment for those who place a premium on the ability to tow.

Both figures best the 5,000-lb capacity of rival the Ford Explorer. The interior has yet to be seen, but we do know it seat 7-passenger. Like the exterior, the interior is expected to show a new direction for Dodge, with an integrated design and high-quality materials. More details on the new Durango should be forthcoming.