The Dodge Journey is currently built alongside the Fiat Freemont and the Fiat 500 in the company’s Toluca Mexico plant. But with the introduction of the next generation Journey, production will shift from Toluca to Sterling Heights Michigan.
It is expected that the next generation Dodge Journey will be introduced as a 2016 model year vehicle, riding on the same chassis platform as the next generation Chrysler 200 sedan. Both are expected to use a similar platform to the CUSW (Compact US Wide) platform already in use for the Dodge Dart and the new Jeep Cherokee. Little else is known about the next generation Journey but with this refreshed crossover riding on the same chassis as the new Jeep Cherokee – the next Journey could share some technology with the new midsized Jeep.
The company’s decision to build the next generation Dodge Journey in the USA comes with some bad, yet expected, news for fans of the Dodge Avenger. When the next gen Chrysler 200 is introduced, it is unlikely that a Dodge version will also be offered so with the absence of the Avenger – there is plenty of build capacity available at the Sterling Heights plant. Going forward, Sterling Heights could also help with overflow production of the Dodge Dart and the Jeep Compass should the demand for either of those two vehicles exceed the capacities of the Belvidere Dart plant or the Toledo Jeep plant.
This move could also be helpful for the Toluca plant as the continued growth of the Fiat 500 could create production restraints for the 500, the Journey or the Fiat Freemont (which is just a Fiat-badged Journey sold in the European market). In any case, Dodge buyers who demand to buy American will soon have one more solid vehicle to pick from when making a new vehicle purchase.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
