Jaw. Dodge Journey in Norway

Norway is perhaps the only corner of Europe where large American cars are still treated favorably and even bought new. Just like in our country, in Russia. What accounts for this similarity? Maybe it's the scale? The territory is less than half a million square kilometers, the population is about five million. Or is it because Norway also actively pumps oil? However, gasoline there costs almost the same as in the rest of Western Europe... Curious. In general, it's a historical tradition. That's why I was invited to Norway to get acquainted with the newest Dodge Journey crossover.

You glance at the car from the front, then walk around to the back — and you immediately understand: such a car will take root in Russia. Although the stern "jaw" and 19-inch wheels are just intimidating camouflage. Remove it — and before you is a standard front-wheel-drive chassis. But the absence of drive to the rear axle made it possible to install a third row of seats: the cabin became seven-seater. And this third row, although it's an option, is by no means a "gallery" for children, but a normal passenger seat. And a small family will have enough of the usual five seats in the first two rows.

The door opening is huge — easy to get in, and the sill doesn't dirty your clothes	Built-in navigation, three-zone climate control, and a "versatile" multimedia center with bluetooth. Not a bad set!	The instrument panel looks great, but the steering wheel rim covers the tachometer and temperature gauge scales
The storage bins are not large. But the top one can be used as a cooler	Another compartment is hidden in the center tunnel. A large camera or a couple of water bottles will easily fit there	Music control buttons on the back of the steering wheel spokes. A great find!

This isn't a cabin, it's a puzzle! One more manipulation with the seat locks — and you get another combination for cargo or passengers. The movable seats easily fold into planes at different levels for transporting boxes, and by folding down the front seat back, you can turn it into a table for the navigator. What pleased me most was the ability to fold flat the backs of all seats on the right side: you get a wide platform for long items, while two passenger seats remain! Where's the nearest IKEA?

Rear doors open 90 degrees

The most "status" element inside is a large color screen that displays data from the standard navigation and the rear-view camera image. This option is also announced for cars for Russia, but it's unlikely that standard navigation will be in demand — our drivers are already used to inexpensive portable navigators. And a regular ultrasonic parking sensor in our dirty winters copes much better than a "fogged-up" video eye. But the ceiling "TV" with remote control and wireless headphones is an indispensable thing on a long trip. The fold-down eight-inch monitor is much more convenient than small screens in headrests — it's easier to "catch" the picture while moving.

Another win-win option is an audio system with a hard drive. It reads all existing formats, is equipped with a USB port, bluetooth for phone connection (hands-free function is implemented), and can work with external flash drives. The full list of "gadgets" is complemented by two lockable hiding places in the floor (each fits 12 cans of 0.33 liters) and a "chest" under the front passenger seat cushion — you can put shashlik or a pizza box there for a picnic.

One movement — and you can climb to the "gallery"!	In this position, to the right of the rear passenger there is a table with cup holders
A disassembled wardrobe will fit here. And two passengers can be seated in the second and third rows	You can hide in the hiding place under the front seat cushion... Anything at all!

In its ability to "absorb" luggage, the Dodge Journey is a true mobile warehouse. In the plastic door trims there are wide pockets with deep cup holders. In the headliner there are fold-down boxes for papers and notebooks. The glove boxes, though, are small, but one of them also serves as a cooler for two half-liter bottles. Just hope your memory doesn't fail — otherwise you'll have to search for the needed item for a long time.

But you won't lose sight of the children: it's convenient to watch them through a spherical mirror built into the sliding sunglasses holder. And if the little one decides to misbehave, you can quickly move him closer to the parents — the second-row seat has longitudinal adjustment with a large range. This same "sofa" allows installing branded boosters for older children — they are offered as an option.

Climate control is separate, and not only for the driver and front passenger, but also for rear passengers. At the rear, control is duplicated: three rotary knobs on the center console and two more at the back. It blows strongly, but it seemed to me that there are problems with air distribution: you can only hide from the direct "bombardment" of air by completely closing all the deflectors.

But the main miss of the ergonomists is the instrument panel. It looks elegant: pleasant colors, well-readable scales, large numbers. But no matter how you settle in behind the wheel, no matter how you adjust the column, the steering wheel rim still covers the outermost instruments — the coolant temperature gauge and the right part of the tachometer scale are not visible at all.

You can argue about the design of the new generation Dodge until you're hoarse. But one thing is certain — there is design!

For Europe, the Dodge Journey crossover will be offered with three engines. But the two-liter turbodiesel (138 hp) paired with a six-speed robotic gearbox will not reach Russia: Chrysler still doubts the quality of our diesel fuel. So our buyers will choose from two gasoline units. The first is an inline "four" with a volume of 2.4 liters and a power of 170 hp with a four-speed "automatic" — this is the Journey SE version. The second is a V-shaped "six" of 2.7 liters (185 hp). It is installed on the R/T modification and works with a six-speed automatic transmission.

I sat behind the wheel of the 185-horsepower version — and it dawned on me: something similar had already happened in my driving practice. Of course, the Chrysler PT Cruiser! I drove it for three years... The same viscous note of the engine at high revs, jerky operation of the gearbox, emptiness under the gas pedal. The Journey climbed gentle slopes like an elderly person up stairs — out of awkwardness in front of the cars behind, I wanted to pull over to the side of the road and turn on the hazard lights. Is this really a V6? I stopped, opened the hood: yes, V6-2.7...

If you turn a blind eye to some nuances of acceleration dynamics, then overall the Dodge Journey behaves quite decently. The steering pleases with understandable effort, body rolls in corners are insignificant, and ride smoothness is at a good level. The list of active safety systems includes stability control, Brake Assist function, and tire pressure sensors. For passenger protection, front and side airbags are responsible, as well as inflatable curtains that cover the heads of those sitting in all three rows.

With a calm driving style on Norwegian roads, the 185-horsepower Journey consumed about 11.5 liters per 100 km. This figure gives hope for acceptable fuel costs even considering the recent rise in gasoline prices in Russia. As for prices, the base SE version is priced from $34,300, and the R/T version from $45,400. The exact ruble equivalent will be announced in the third quarter of 2008, when the "American traveler" enters the Russian market.