Detroit Auto Show: Dodge Adds HEMI(R) Muscle and Brings the 'Sport' Back to the Sport-Utility Vehicle Market

CLICK4Video Dodge Concept Intro(Includes Tomahawk; Kahuna; Durango Hemi)

   DETROIT, Jan. 5, 2003;  Style, power and passion have
never been in short supply at Dodge, and the 2003 Dodge Durango HEMI(R) RT
Concept delivers on all counts.  Boasting the tire melting, 345 horsepower
HEMI Magnum engine and cutting-edge styling, the 2003 Dodge Durango HEMI RT
Concept offers a more sporting alternative in a crowded sport utility
marketplace.
    "Dodge talks the talk and walks the walk," said Darryl Jackson, Vice
President-Dodge Marketing.  "The Dodge Durango Concept is all about living
large and what better way to 'Grab Life by the Horns' than with a HEMI and
bold, in-your-face styling.  Every Dodge should carry a little bit of Viper
and Ram with them; it's their Dodge DNA.  That's what separates us from the
mainstream.  Dodge's leadership in innovation and cutting-edge styling provide
Dodge with a competitive advantage.  The unique 'Full of Life' personality is
inherent in all Dodge vehicles.  Dodge owners understand the meaning of hard
work and want a vehicle that matches their dedication."
    Dodge provides customers with a choice of vehicles ranging from Dodge
Vipers to Caravans, not to mention the most exciting lineup of trucks on the
market.  The Dodge brand offers an alternative to the mainstream with bold
styling, powerful engines and fun-to-drive vehicles, from sport compacts to
sport utilities.
    "Dodge owners, and particularly Dodge Durango owners, are made up of young
active families that 'go' and 'do,' whether it is hauling cargo, off-roading
or towing their boat on the weekend," Jackson added.  "Dodge Durango buyers
average about seven years younger than Ford Explorer buyers and they want a
vehicle that provides room for the family, but one that can get them anywhere
they want to be, no excuses.  Being Dodge owners, they also don't want to look
like everyone else doing it.  So we have an SUV that only Dodge could create,
with style, power and passion."
    The Dodge Durango Concept offers more interior and cargo room than Ford
Explorer and the current-generation Durango.  When it debuted, the 1998
Durango was the first SUV in its class to offer fold-flat third-row seating
and easily outclassed the competition in terms of room and power.  Dodge
Durango Concept delivers more passenger and cargo room than ever before and
provides innovative seating for seven.