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First Drive: Dodge Durango 5.7 Citadel
Car Reviews

First Drive: Dodge Durango 5.7 Citadel

·
February 3,2014
·
4 min read

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Thinking of buying a 7 seater family SUV that is safe, spacious, drives well not just on the road but also in wadis? The new 2014 Dodge Durango is surprisingly superior in a few key areas compared to the usual suspects we see on our roads, Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer. Dodge Durango needs to be looked at again. For some reason, it has remained an underrated player in the family SUV 7 seater segment. We explored the 2014 Durango in our first drive organized by Chrysler Middle East where we drove from Dubai to Fujairah covering some decent wadi exposure along the way. 

Style

This is a stylish family SUV that takes a few cues from Dodge Charger. The 'hockey stick' LED lights form a straight line appearance which gives a very striking look especially at night. The Citadel comes with a chrome honey comb grille which, although classy is not as good looking as the R/T which has a very sporty narrow grille. The R/T is also lower in height by 20mm. Both R/T and Citadel feature high discharge Bi Xenon lamps with projector beam headlamps as well. Wheel size starts from 18 inches up to 20 inches for the higher trim levels. 

Compared to the previous generation Durango, the side profile has been further enhanced and the rear has been redesigned to accommodate the trailer hitch better. Durango claims to have the best towing capacity in it's segment, which immediately took us back to Nissan Patrol's feats of strength. The V6 models get a single exhaust tip and the V8 versions get dual 3.5 mm tips. 

Interior

Materials and Finishing

It's hard to find faults with the interior. There are minimal hard plastics to be found. Seating at least on the full options Citadel was very comfortable and the leather quality is also quite good. The rear entertainment screens (optional) are placed behind the front seats, unline the drop down screen we see in Honda Pilot which makes rear visibility a problem. Although visibility on the sides is not the best in class, it is quite okay for everyday usage. 

Features and Technology

The infotainment system is not the most intuitive for first time users, however it's ok once you have adjusted to the unusually placed controls. For example, the audio controls are behind the steering wheel so unless you discover it, it's impossible to know where they are! We had observed the same ergonomics in 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee as well in our last road test. Apart from that, the technology is just fine for everyday use. The sunroof opens and closes with two separate controls which is a bit redundant as most SUV's use one control for both. The gearbox is operated via the Jaguar-like knob system, with additional lower gear transfer case for V8 higher trims. This, however does not classify the Durango as an off-roader, however it will definitely do better in wadis compared to other crossovers. 

Interior Space

This is one of the most spacious, if not the most spacious SUV in it's class. The Pathfinder still rules when it comes to 2nd row leg room, however the Durango makes up for it by offering more in the boot, while keeping 2nd and 3rd row legroom decent enough. Definitely surpasses Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot in seating and boot space metrics. Good job.

Safety Features 

The Durango has best in class safety features compared to it's rivals. The list is long and impressive. Forward crash collision system gives the driver a good jolt few seconds before the crash to warn him. The adaptive cruise control is adjusted to slow down when it detects a car in front, to the extent that it will stop if the car ahead is close enough. Standard airbags in front, back and side all blow away the competition in this area. 

Drive Performance

The Durango Citadel oozes power in it's 5.7 liter engine, generating 360 horsepower. On road we floored it and took it up to 6,000 RPM and the torque kept coming. There is no delay in acceleration as seen in a lot of SUVs. The new 8 speed transmission makes the ride butter smooth and there is no CVT noise either. The handling is also surprisingly quite good, with decent road grip and steering feedback. This is actually the only SUV, apart from Ford Explorer that gives you something resembling a driver's feel. Most SUV's are no-feedback light steering urban cruisers. This one is a pleasant exception. Road noise is kept to a bare minimum too. Honestly, it was hard to find weaknesses in the driving experience.

Verdict

With a starting price of 129,900 AED and ending close to 200,000 AED for the full options version, the only chink in the armour for Dodge Durango is it's price tag. Other than that, the car is stylish, drives much better than it's rivals and is safe to the extent of being ridiculous. 

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