Zac Quinn 
The Dodge Durango is more than just a three-row family SUV. With the 392 Hemi V8 available as an option, and a (limited edition) 710 horsepower Hellcat supercharged V8 above that, the Durango endearingly serves as a “three-row muscle car,” and is one of the quickest, most powerful utility vehicles in the world that money can buy. And it’s managed to soldier on thus far without any finagled electrification or other gadgetry that tends to sterilize such an experience. However that experience appears to be endangered, as reports suggest the decisions around the Durango nameplate are in a flux.
Per Automotive News, Stellantis, the global PSA-FCA conglomerate that has taken ownership of Dodge, has not yet finalized the direction of the next-generation Durango SUV.
The obvious move would be that the Dodge Durango would eventually transition to a variation of the new architecture that underpins the WL Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021 Grand Cherokee L. Both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango are built in the same plant in Detroit, and the previous-generation WK Grand Cherokee shared a common architecture, engines, transmission and other components with the Durango. If that’s not the case, then perhaps the next Durango could emerge as a fully electric vehicle.
Dodge Durango Beyond 2024
Dodge has been making it clear that it will be transitioning into a performance EV brand, with the first example of that being an all-electric Dodge Charger sedan that will emerge in 2024. Looking around, the same can be said about the rest of the Stellantis family of brands. Including Ram. So it’s not farfetched to imagine an electric Dodge Durango from 2024 and beyond.
Should Stellantis decide to make the Durango a platform mate to the WL Jeep Grand Cherokee, we’d likely be looking at an expansion of the 4xe plug-in hybrid technology to Dodge, which would definitely help achieve the fuel economy targets the automaker is looking for. Perhaps then, it could afford to see a return of the Durango Hellcat.
