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Dodge Journey gets more SUV-like look with new Crossroad model

Looking to play up its aging three-row crossover, Dodge will introduce a new model for its Journey franchise at next week's Chicago Auto Show. The 2014 Dodge Journey Crossroad will be a new trim level positioned between the SXT and Limited, and it will be distinguished from other Journey models thanks to a handful of styling add-ons.
Plucking a page right out of the appearance playbook of the Ford Explorer Sport, the Journey Crossroad gets a meaner, more SUV-like demeanor. The Journey has often straddled the line between tall wagon and crossover, but this new trim goes a long way toward skewing its visuals toward the utility vehicle end of the spectrum. That's thanks largely to the Platinum chrome exterior trim on its roof rails and side sills, unique fascias, smoked headlights and taillights and, of course, those black 19-inch wheels. Inside, the Journey Crossroad will get a similar treatment, with darker, Liquid Graphite accents throughout the cabin, and the model will also come standard with leather seats (which Dodge says are a new design), and Chrysler's giant 8.4-inch Uconnect screen.
The 2014 Journey Crossroad goes on sale this spring with a starting price of $24,995 (*not including $995 for destination) for the four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive model, but Dodge says that the model will also be offered with more power and capability from the optional 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and all-wheel-drive. Scroll down for the full press release, and check back next week for our live coverage from Chicago.

Dodge Challenger Shaker cars get Shakedown package stripes

In 2016, Dodge brought a custom 1971 Dodge Challenger to the SEMA show called the Shakedown. It melded modern Challenger parts with the classic model's body, and did so almost seamlessly. It of course featured a shaker hood scoop, and it also had a set of stripes to one side that gradually decreased in size to give the feeling of vibration and movement. The reception was clearly good, because Dodge has created a set of stripes just like those on the show car for modern shaker Challengers and made them available in a package with the Shakedown name. The Shakedown package is new for 2018 and available only on Challengers with the shaker hood scoop. These include the R/T Shaker, R/T Plus Shaker, and 392 Scat Pack Shaker. Just like on the concept, the stripes are all to one side and wrap around the hood scoop. The only difference is that they're all one color, whereas the '71 custom car had one stripe in red. In addition to the stripes, the package adds white-face gauges and an upgraded Alpine audio system. On R/T and R/T Plus models, this system has six speakers with a 275-watt amplifier, while the system on the Scat Pack has nine speakers with a 506-watt amplifier. The cost of the Shakedown package is $995, and it's available with any color of Challenger Shaker. And on the topic of colors, Dodge has also revived Plum Crazy and B5 Blue for 2018 Chargers and Challengers. Those colors will be available on any Charger or Challenger regardless of trim level. Related Video: Dodge Coupe Performance

How fracking is causing Chrysler minivans to sit on Detroit's riverfront

It's fascinating the way that one change to a complex system can have all sorts of unintended consequences. For instance, there are hundreds of new Chrysler Town and County and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans built in Windsor, Ontario, sitting in lots on the Detroit waterfront because of the energy boom in the Bakken oil field in the northern US and parts of Canada.
The huge amount of crude oil coming from these sites mostly use freight trains for transport, and that supply boom has resulted in a shortage of railcars to carry other goods. According to The Windsor Star, North American crude oil transport by train has gone from 9,500 carloads in 2008 to 434,032 carloads in 2013. Making matters worse, some North American rail infrastructure is still damaged because of this year's harsh winter, and that's slowing things down even further.
Chrysler admits to The Star that it has had some delivery delays due to the freight train shortage. In the meantime, it's using more trucks to deliver its vehicles. Trucking is a far less economical solution, partially because a train can carry so many more units at one time, but alternatives are slim. The Windsor plant alone has a deal for 33 trucks to distribute the minivans around Canada and the Midwestern US.