2009 Dodge Durango Hybrid

Want your cake and want to eat it, too? Why not have it with green icing, then?!
Chrysler has joined the ranks of a growing number of hybrid manufacturers, and in this case, its Dodge division has designed a work-horse hybrid, engineered for those of us that love a 4WD powertrain, might want to ferry eight friends to a get-away weekend in the woods, plus bring along a couple of jet skis or snowmobiles - and have the need to pay less to fuel both our work and our fun.
On sale in August, the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid will hit the streets and backcountry of America, with the same body design as its gas-powered counterpart, equipped with Chrysler's 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine that partners with a hybrid electric motor system and Chrysler's MDS (multiple displacement system).

This state-of-the art technology is estimated to increase fuel economy by 25 percent in overall driving, and up to 40 percent in the city, with an annual savings of hundreds of gallons of fuel per year.
This two-mode, full-sized SUV hybrid model will bring the same 8-seating practicality and 6,000 lbs. towing capability as the traditional Durango that has been on the market for more than a decade and was completely revamped in 2007. Additionally, its updated and roomy interior has best-in-class cargo capacity (68.4 cu. ft. of cargo room with the third-row seats folded), says Dodge. The new model has been awarded a Five-star frontal impact rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Durango Hybrid is true to the Dodge brand's bold styling, with chiseled edges and tough-truck cues starting with the traditional giant-sized, crosshair grille, strong character lines run along the body accenting fenders and lower doors, and ending with dual rounded afterburner LED tail lamps that frame the outer edges of the liftgate. Tinted windows surround the second and third rear seating tiers and rear window.
The interior is definitely plush--set up with heated leather trimmed bucket seats, with 8-way power adjustments for the driver and 4-way for the front passenger. Second and third row seating tiers feature a 60/40 split bench seating arrangement.  Wood appointments grace the interior doors and console. One of its niftiest features sitting in the analog gauge cluster is a "power" or "green" gauge that makes it visually clear to the driver exactly when the electric motors are being used to provide power, when the battery is being charged, and when this 5,553-lb. vehicle is being powered by gasoline. 
Set up with full-time 4WD (sorry, no low range set of gears!) the Durango Hybrid's HEMI V-8 is capable of 385-hp and 380 ft-lbs of torque overall, with a payload of 1500 lbs., and a max towing capacity of 6,000 lbs. The supplemental electric motor is powered by a 300-volt battery pack that is located under the second-row seats. The electrically variable transmission offers low and high-speed drive modes. Low speed mode supplements the vehicle's 5.7-liter engine with electric power at slower speeds and when carrying lighter loads. Of note, this sport UTE can be motored in the city in low mode under total electric power, on engine power or a combination of the two. In the high-speed mode--or for highway driving and carrying or pulling heavy loads--the hybrid uses the power of the gas engine solely. Chrysler's MDS technology, allows the engine to switch between 4-cylinder and 8-cylinder modes, depending on the amount of power needed, in these conditions, and depending on your driving style.
Underneath is an independent torsion bar front suspension with a coil spring rear suspension with a Watts linkage fitted to the rear axle.  Brakes are vented discs, with two-piston calipers in the front, and single-piston calipers in the rear. The hybrid rides on standard 265/60/18 Goodyear Wrangler SRA rubber that sits on 18-inch cast aluminum 5-spoke chrome finished wheels.
Standard safety features include next-generation dual-stage front air bags, side-curtain airbags along all three rows of seating, roll sensing, along with Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock Braking System and Traction Control, Park Sense Rear Park Assist System, Park View Rear Back-up Camera System, Trailer Sway Control, and tire pressure monitoring.
On board are a host of technologies to meet your entertainment desires; a MyGIG Infotainment System with voice activation navigation, an 8-inch touch screen monitor. and real-time traffic capability. The system has a 20 GB harddrive that allows storage of music, photos and navigation maps. An overhead console contains a HomeLink Universal Transceiver and Vehicle Information Center.
Additional standard features include A/C with dual-zone automatic climate control, leather wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio controls, heated power mirrors, remote keyless entry, and an Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo with Sirius satellite radio.
Driving this new model and its upstreet mechanical twin, the Chrysler Aspen, on a route from Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine, gave us the opportunity to validate its fuel efficiency and try out its mechanicals. We began our drive in city traffic starting and running under electric power, when motoring with a light foot and at slow speeds. Accelerating on nearby roadways, we used a combination of electric and gasoline for propulsion. We were suitably impressed on high-speed highways to travel at speeds up to 80 mph, and when using a light tip-in on the gas pedal, found that we were motoring in the MDS fuel-savings mode. Our overall fuel economy for the trip ranged from 21.9 on one vehicle to 23.8 on a second!
We were pleased with all mechanicals, assessing this hybrid's steering as properly weighted, especially when towing, and found its HEMI power band as delightful as robust power can be to move a full-sized model in and out of traffic with ease. Stopping duties come with confidence and are delivered with a well-modulated braking system and a brake pedal with a predictable feel. The single piece of bad news is that the hybrid can not be started through remote start.
The 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid is a great example of having your cake and eating it, too. The "green icing" version will start at $45,340. Purchasing a hybrid enables buyers to receive a tax credit through 2008; this new hybrid has been developed in conjunction with General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW.