The 2011 Dodge Journey to be sold by Fiat in Europe

The 2011 Dodge Journey will be sold throughout Europe as the Fiat Freemont according to Auto Week and once this comes to volition, the Freemont will be the first Chrysler-turned-Fiat vehicle since the company merged in 2009. Part of the Italian automakers plan for success includes platform sharing across the brands and in the next year we can expect more joint efforts between the two; such as the likely Maserati SUV based on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

There will likely be some subtle changes to the new Dodge Journey as it is transformed into the 2011 Fiat Freemont (to accommodate the preferences of the European driver) but I’ve wondered if the Freemont will wear the distinctive Dodge crosshair grille while sporting the Fiat name. The only drivetrain option mentioned by Auto Week’s report is Fiat’s 170hp 2.0L diesel which replaces the 140hp Volkswagen diesel employed in the current Dodge Journey. There is no mention of the heavily used Chrysler Pentastar V6 being used in the Fiat Freemont although rumors have suggested that some other Chrysler-built European models could use their new V6 architecture.

The Dodge Journey is currently available in Europe as the 2010 model but this will be the final model year as when the redesigned Journey debuts at the Geneva Auto Show in March, the Fiat Freemont will meet the world. Like the North American 2011 Dodge Journey, the Fiat Freemont will be built at Chrysler’s Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico alongside the new Fiat 500’s intended for sale in the US and Canada. The 2011 Fiat Freemont will replace the Fiat Ulysse minivan and with its sharp styling and convenient all-wheel-drive system, the Italian automaker hopes that the new Journey-turned-Fiat will help European sales.

Source: Auto Week

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