All About Japan Autos

After releasing its 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler has another surprise for shoppers interested in a competitive, midsize sport-utility vehicle: the 2011 Dodge Durango.

Armed with plenty of equipment and a focus on enthusiasts, the new Dodge Durango has a specific target in mind. “With a third row, a big Hemi-branded engine, and numerous references to towing things and making a vehicle for the ‘enthusiast’ it’s clear Dodge is hoping to embarrass the relatively meek Taurus-based 2011 Ford Explorer,” writes Jalopnik.

Starting with the basics, the new Durango will feature a powerful choice of engine options. Autoblog reports: “Under the hood, buyers can look forward to picking between the company’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or a 5.7-liter V8 with 6,200 and 7,800-pounds of towing capacity, respectively.” These towing figures are significant improvements over the Ford Explorer’s capabilities, which are limited to 2,000 and 5,000 pounds towing capacity for the 2.0-liter and 3.5-liter Explorer, respectively.

With all of this power, the 2011 Durango must be horrible on gas, right? Not quite. According to Autoweek, “Fuel efficiency was a focus of the team that engineered the Durango. Dodge says the SUV should be able to go 500 miles, or the distance from Detroit to New York, on one tank of fuel.

Expect the 2011 Dodge Durango to arrive in showrooms this fall.

If you’re in the market for a new or used car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.