The third-generation Dodge Durango is quite literally the oldest passenger vehicle on sale today. It went into production all the way back in 2010 for the 2011 model year, and it hasn’t really shown any signs of slowing down… until now. Stellantis just laid out its plans for a massive $15 billion investment in the U.S. (which you can read all about in The Morning Shift), and part of those plans is — at long last — a next-generation Durango. Oh, happy days.
Don’t worry too much, Gen Three Durango Heads. That SUV isn’t going away anytime soon. Dodge says production of the fourth-generation ‘Rango isn’t “anticipated to launch” until 2029. That’s a hell of a long time from now, and it means when all is said and done, the current Durango will have been in production for at least 19 years. Sure, it’s had a few nips and ticks along the way, but it’s basically the same car it was when it launched during Barack Obama’s first presidential term.
To prepare for this new truck, Stellantis is expected to dump about $130 million into its Jefferson Detroit Assembly Complex. That’s the same place the current Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee are produced, but I suppose it needs some sprucing up and retooling for this exciting new model.
Still a strong seller
To this point, the third-generation Durango has been on sale for just about 15 years, and in that time, it’s only gotten a few updates. Its biggest change actually came rather early in its production run. Back in the 2014 model year, the Durango got new front and rear styling as well as an eight-speed automatic transmission and a refreshed interior that brought it more in line with the Charger of the day.
Other than that, there have been a few reshufflings of trim levels and, of course, the addition of the SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat. Both of those motors have taken the Durango from a sensible family car to a seven-seater machine for lunatics… lunatics like me.
Despite the fact that the Durango is far older than its competition, it’s still quite a strong seller. In 2024, Dodge moved 59,357 Durangos in the U.S. Sure, that was a 14% decrease over the prior year, but it was still very much Dodge’s best-selling vehicle. It actually accounted for about 42% of all of Dodge’s sales in 2024. I don’t know if that’s a testament to the SUV or an indictment of the rest of the brand’s lineup, but ball don’t lie.
By my count, Dodge has sold a total of 916,545 third-generation Durangos in the U.S. through the third quarter of this year. Who knows where it’ll end up when all is said and done?