What Does FCA Have Planned To Replace The Durango?

There has been no shortage of significant shakeups following the Fiat purchase of the Chrysler brand. But one of the biggest head-scratchers has to be the discontinuation of the Dodge Durango. And the obvious question of “What is replacing the Dodge Durango?” has brought no concrete answers, either.

Maybe the Durango doesn’t have to leave us entirely…

Just over a year ago, Chrysler had no problem pouring marketing dollars into the Durango with the popular Ron Burgundy ads that flooded the Internet. And the brand wasn’t doing this to pump up a beleaguered model, as the refreshed Durango actually garnered some very positive reviews. Consumers showed their approval for the surprisingly impressive SUV with their checkbooks, as the Durango has held strong sales numbers since the 2014 redesign.

While new ownership can do whatever it wants, it’s certainly at least a peculiar move to discontinue a vehicle that is selling well. Unless the company had something more grandiose in mind to fill the void in the lineup? Hmm…

What is replacing the Dodge Durango?

It has been announced that another piece of Jeep history will be returning, as the Wagoneer will make a comeback. Being that the Cherokee was brought back to rave reviews and the Renegade is one of the most anticipated models hitting the market in some time, it might be wise not to question the FCA plans for Jeep.

Who wouldn’t want to see this baby return?

But what would the new Wagoneer bring to the table? There are some ideas out there, and they fall in line with what we know from the Wagoneer of old – even though we haven’t seen one roll off the line since 1993. It appears it will be a seven-seat luxury SUV that will be one notch above the Grand Cherokee. Let’s just hope it brings back the wood grain.

As for if the Wagoneer will actually be a replacement for the Durango, that remains to be seen. There are even scenarios out there where the Durango nameplate continues to live on as a minivan-based crossover, replacing the Caravan.

We’ll have to see what happens. It’s pretty clear that FCA is going to continue to shake things up. But if the first moves are any indication, we’re in for a fun ride.