The Dodge Durango is a distinctive choice in a field of broadly similar midsize SUVs. Its muscular styling, available V8 engines, and full-size towing power in a midsize package set it apart. But it’s an aging beast – the bones of the current model date back to the 2011 model year. It suffers from lower resale value than some competitors, as well as the distinct lack of many driver aids now common on its competitors.
Those disadvantages currently have the Durango last in our list of the best 3-row midsize SUVs.
For the 2022 model year, Dodge will address the issue, adding automated safety systems to the Durango.
All 2022 Durango SUVs, regardless of trim level, will come equipped with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Not all automated safety features are standard. An adaptive cruise control capable of stopping the car when traffic stops and forward collision warning remain available only for an added cost and as part of a package of options.
Prices haven’t been announced yet. The 2021 Durango starts at $32,962 (plus a $1,595 destination fee). This month, Dodge is offering nationwide discounts of up to $3,250 on some Durango models – a rarity at a time when incentives on new cars are hard to find.
Hellcat Gone, Big V8s Still Available
The 710-horsepower Durango SRT Hellcat has been dropped from the lineup for 2022. It was a limited-production run that sold out quickly last year. The company found a way to build a few more after selling out, but those were quickly spoken for, too.
That leaves the SRT 392 to fill the high-performance slot in the lineup. With a healthy 475 horsepower from its 6.4-liter V8, it still gets from 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds.
The other big change for the 2022 model year is color. There are very few of them available. Buyers could order the 2021 Durango in 11 colors. The 2022 model will come in just four.
The End of the Line, or a New Start Soon?
That last detail may lend credence to rumors that the Durango is on its way out. Reports have suggested that Dodge could trim the big SUV from its lineup by 2024. The company has set out to remake its image, planning the first “electric muscle car” and promising to keep its performance-centered philosophy while moving away from internal combustion.
But we’d be remiss not to note that Dodge has canceled the Durango before and changed its mind. The company announced the end of the Durango line after the 2009 model year, then surprised the media with a new model soon after. So we wouldn’t count the Durango name out of Dodge’s electric future.
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