San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Dodge, Ram, Jeep include truck, SUV models
Some great RAM and Jeep pickups and a variety of Dodge and Jeep sport-utilities are on the market for 2024 from the automaker Stellantis. Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the two new premium Jeep vehicles, added just two years ago. Their names were previously used on big Jeep SUVs for decades.
Ram offers pickups including the regular 1500 models and the Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 models, including Cummins diesel engine options. Jeep also offers its own pickup, known as the Gladiator. SUV models from Dodge for 2024 are the midsize Durango and the compact Hornet.
Also for 2024, Jeep has its Cherokee, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler SUV models.
Ram 1500
For 2024, the Ram 1500 lineup of full-size, half-ton pickups includes three configurations: the Quad Cab, with a 6-foot, 4-inch cargo bed; Crew Cab, with a 5-foot, 7-inch bed; and another Crew Cab, with a 6-foot, 4-inch bed.
The Ram 1500 offers eight models: the
Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited, and TRX. These trucks feature up to 12,750 pounds of towing capability and 2,300 pounds of payload.
The eTorque 48-volt mild hybrid system delivers improved fuel efficiency in both V-6 (standard) and V-8 configurations.
At the top of the line, the 2024 Ram 1500 TRX has been rigorously tested to handle the most punishing conditions with extreme capability and durability on its way to being the most powerful massproduced pickup in its class, Stellantis says.
New for 2024, the Ram 1500 TRX 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 Final Edition offers unique exterior colors and premium content to mark the conclusion of the big V-8’s production.
Included are beadlock-capable wheels, a 6.2-liter hood badge and TRX bed decal, all in an exclusive Satin Titanium color. There are three new exterior colors for TRX – Delmonico Red, Night Edge Blue and Harvest Sunrise.
In the cabin, the TRX 6.2-liter Final Edition includes Patina stitching on the dashboard and seats, an embroidered “TRX” seatback logo in Patina, a leather and carbon fiber flat–bottom steering wheel, and carbon fiber accents on the driver’s cluster display.
A unique cluster splash screen, ultra-premium center console badge showcasing the build number, passenger-side TRX dashboard badge, and suede door panel inserts are also included.
Among other Ram 1500 models for 2024, the Tradesman Warlock returns with enhanced off-road features from the factory, including an electronic rear-locking differential, skid plates, one-inch raised ride height, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires, and Bilstein front and rear performancetuned shock absorbers. The Ram 1500 also now includes the Tailgate Ajar warning lamp as standard equipment across the lineup.
Powertrain choices also include the 3.6-liter eTorque Pentastar V-6 engine, delivering 305 horsepower and 269 foot-pounds of torque, and the 5.7-liter eTorque Hemi V-8 engine, a class-exclusive V-8 hybrid, with improved fuel efficiency along with 395 horsepower and 410 foot-pounds of torque
Other highlights include best-in-class available rear legroom, class-exclusive available reclining rear seats with heated and cooling functionality, a flat-load floor with available second-row in-floor storage, tie-down rings, expandable under-seat storage, and available rear seat fold-down center console
The available 900-watt, 19-speaker Harman Kardon Premium Audio System offers the most available speakers in its class.
There also are an available dual-pane panoramic sunroof, 12-inch digital gauge cluster, head-up display, and digital rearview mirror.
Dodge Durango
The Durango is a roomy crossover utility vehicle with up to three rows of seating, based on the architecture of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The SRT Hellcat model leads the Durango lineup for 2024, and this rare “muscle SUV” is a popular choice among performance enthusiasts with families.
Hellcat can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and can turn a National Hot Rod Association-certified quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds, with a top speed of 180 mph.
Overall, the 2024 Durango lineup offers a full range of engine options, starting with a V-6.
There are six distinct models: the SXT, GT, Citadel, R/T, 475-horsepower SRT 392 and 710-horsepower SRT Hellcat.
Durango continues to boast best-in-class towing capacity across its lineup, with up to 8,700 pounds for the models with the 392-cubic-inch Hemi V-8 and classic 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engines with the Tow N Go Package.
Models with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine have a towing capability of 6,200 pounds.
For the 2024 model year, the Durango continues to offer modern exterior styling and a driveroriented cockpit. Five-times-faster Uconnect 5 is available on the 10.1-inch touch screen, which houses SRT Performance Pages on select models.
Available models:
• SXT: with three-row, seven-passenger seating, power driver’s seat, ParkSense rear park assist system and bright roof rails.
• GT: Remote start system, heated front seats and steering wheel, and power liftgate.
Plus Group offers standard Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Advanced Brake Assist, Lane Departure Warning Plus and more standard content on GT and R/T models:
• GT Plus: Memory system, rain-sensing automatic wipers, Bright cargo area scuff plates, leather seats with
suede inserts and first and second-row heated seats.
• R/T Plus: Nappa leather with perforated inserts and accent stitching, sunroof, Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking, Harman Kardon premium audio system and Premium Interior Package (includes premium wrapped instrument panel and Dinamica soft-touch headliner).
The Blacktop Package now includes the performance hood on the GT and P265/50R20 performance all-season tires on GT and R/T models.
Dodge last year refreshed the exteriors designs and updated the interiors, along with adding safety and connectivity technology.
All models are available with four-wheel drive, while rear drive is standard. Available interior amenities include leather and navigation.
Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer
Jeep rolled out its new premium Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models two years ago, reviving the name of a long-revered Jeep SUV known as the Wagoneer.
Now, there are extended-length versions of these big SUVs as well, called the Wagoneer L and the Grand Wagoneer L. Both of the L models were added for 2023, and have an extra foot of overall length, and a wheelbase that’s seven inches longer.
For the Grand Wagoneer, that translates into
226.7 inches of overall length, and a wheelbase of 130 inches – giving it 15.8 cubic feet of additional cargo space over the standard-length Grand Wagoneer.
There are three L-model trim levels for 2024: Grand Wagoneer L, Grand Wagoneer L Obsidian, and Grand Wagoneer L Series III.
All offer seven- or eight-passenger configurations, with extra rear legroom in the L models.
Grand Wagoneer L offers 88.8 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 112.9 cubic feet behind the first row.
With the second and third rows folded flat, the cargo area can easily fit a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood with room to spare.
The Obsidian Package, standard on Grand Wagoneer L Obsidian and available on Series III, includes Piano Black exterior accents, black interior accents, Gloss Black upper and lower molding, and 22-inch polished wheels with black inserts.
Its Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system comes with active low-range gearing and rear electronic limited-slip differential.
Standard on Grand Wagoneer models is the Hurricane Twin Turbo 510 inline-six engine, bringing 510 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque. It provides a towing capability of up to 9,450 pounds. It’s connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Grand Wagoneer’s Quadra-Lift air suspension delivers a smooth ride and up to 10 inches of ground clearance. Interiors are premium for the Wagoneer and offer limousine-like luxury for the Grand Wagoneer.
Jeep Wrangler
Jeep has upgraded its iconic Wrangler utility vehicle for 2024 with new styling cues (including a new grille) and advanced technology, and continues to offer its top-of-the-line Rubicon model in a plug-in hybrid format. Among new features for 2024, Wrangler gets its first full-float Dana rear axle, available 100:1 crawl ratio, and a factoryinstalled 8,000-pound-capacity Warn winch, the manufacturer says.
There is also a new interior, which, on our Rubicon X 4xe test vehicle – the plug-in hybrid model – included 12-way power adjustable front seats, standard 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment touch screen, and standard side-curtain air bags in the first and second rows.
New for 2024 is the Rubicon X model, which is offered with gas and 4xe hybrid powertrains. It takes the Rubicon up a notch or two with more capability, style and technology, Jeep says.
Based on the Rubicon, the premium Rubicon X also gets navigation, a nine-speaker premium Alpine audio system, Nappa leather seats, Rock-Trac full-time transfer case, integrated off-road camera, steel bumpers, body-color hardtop, and body-color fender flares.
The Wrangler Rubicon trim level is an example of paradoxes, as it’s offered with the hybrid system that gets up to 49 mpg, or with the 470-horsepower 392 V-8 engine, whose fuel economy is definitely not among its attributes (13 mpg city/17 highway/14 combined). As for the Rubicon X 4xe (base price $60,585, plus $8,500 for the Rubicon X Preferred Package, and $1,795 freight), Jeep says it has “the most advanced powertrain ever developed” for a Wrangler.
The Wrangler hybrid comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, assisted by two electric motors powered by a 400-volt battery pack.
It cranks out a total of 375 horsepower and 470 foot-pounds of torque, which is more than you’d need on the trail, but great for highway driving, especially on interstate uphill on-ramps. The gasoline engine alone is rated at 270 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque
This internal-combustion engine/electric motor combination eliminates the so-called range anxiety associated with electric-only vehicles, but it still allows the Wrangler 4xe to go up to 21 miles on electric power alone, which is great for in-town daily work commutes. Plug it in every night, and your daily commute uses none of your gasoline.
There’s a conventional TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission, and next to its consolemounted shifter, there is the Wrangler’s traditional four-wheel-drive shifter, which provides 4WD highand low-range modes.
New for 2024, the hybrid model is offered with the Jeep 4xe Power Box, which features four 120-volt outlets with 30 amps of total output, allowing the battery pack to power external devices such as phones and tablets, Jeep says.
The GX 550 Overtrail and Overtrail-Plus come with a standard Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System to provide a balance between off-road drivability and on-road handling stability.
This system locks and unlocks the front and rear stabilizer bars to assist with control and wheel articulation.
Depending on driving conditions, speed, steering input and the Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) setting chosen by the driver, the system can independently lock or unlock the front and rear stabilizer bars as needed, Lexus says.
In a big departure from the past, this new GX comes with a square exterior profile using the new Lexus “spindle” body concept.
Standard Triple-Beam LED headlights and the grille opening have been raised to help avoid potential impact with objects while driving offroad. LED fog and cornering lamps are available for increased visibility.
Lexus UX 250h
The UX small crossover was added to the Lexus lineup to allow the brand to take advantage of the growing luxury subcompact SUV segment.
Originally available in gasoline-only and gasolineelectric hybrid versions, for 2023 the UX went entirely hybrid. The Lexus UX 250h carries over its dynamic drive and various luxury options into the new 2024 model year.
A power back hatch with kick sensor is now available across all models.
The UX 250h for 2023 brought urban-dweller style and improved driving dynamics for the new model year. Enhancements included the addition of the Lexus Interface, a larger touch screen and Lexus Safety System+ 2.5.
Also for 2023, there was a more-refined driving experience brought by updates to steering response, handling stability and ride quality.
Structural rigidity was improved by adding 20 spot-welding points on the body, and the electronic power steering and shock absorbers were recalibrated accordingly. Improved noise and vibration reduction were achieved with the addition of newly developed Bridgestone 18-inch run-flat tires on the new UX models.
The UX 250h F Sport model’s driving appearance and sportiness have been further enhanced through F Sport Design and Handling packages.
On the exterior, both models have F Sport wheels, grille, dark roof rails, a black roof, power tilt-andslide moon roof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, fog and cornering lights, automatic headlight leveling and painted wheel-arch molding.
The UX is low and sleek with a coupe-like appearance. It’s built on the same basic architecture as the Toyota CH-R, with a common wheelbase length – 103.9 inches. The UX is a bit longer overall, however – 177 inches versus the C-HR’s 172.6.
With the UX 250h, there is a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, plus an electric motor that drives the rear wheels, making the vehicle all-wheel drive. The system has a combined 181 horsepower (gasoline engine and electric motor).
Fuel-economy ratings for the hybrid system are 41
Lexus NX
The Lexus NX compact luxury crossovers were extensively redesigned for 2022, and the first plug-in hybrid version – the NX 450h+ -- was added to the lineup.
Lexus says the NX was redesigned from the inside out, and that “Every exterior surface has been reimagined. The signature spindle grille has been refined in the front.”
For 2024 the NX is largely a carryover model from 2023. With four powertrain options, including two
hybrid electric models, the NX provides elevated levels of refined driving performance, innovative design and advanced technology.
New for 2024, certain interior color offerings have been enhanced to create a seamless interior. In addition, certain interior colors have added colorkeyed elements to the front and rear door panels.
For the second generation, there are two electrified options, including a 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain on the NX 350h, as well as the first plug-in hybrid electric Lexus model, the NX 450h+.
Advanced technology abounds in the all-new NX, Lexus says.
The NX 450h+ has an estimated 36-mile range on electric power only, made possible by the newly developed, high-capacity lithium-ion battery.
Using the maximum charging current of 240 volts, the Lexus NX plug-in hybrid can be fully charged in about two-and-a-half hours when equipped with the optional 6.6 kW Expedited Onboard Charger.
With the standard 3.3 kW on board charger, charge time goes up to approximately four-and-a-half hours.
The gasoline-only NX 350 comes with a 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 275 horsepower and 317 foot-pounds of torque, connected to an eightspeed automatic transmission. There is also the NX 250, with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with start/stop functionality mated with an eight-speed transmission. It has 203 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque.
The NX 350h uses the regular Lexus Hybrid
Drive system, with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with two high-torque electric drive motor-generators for strong acceleration and passing performance.
Instead of transfer gears and a driveshaft to the rear wheels, the AWD system employs a second, independent electric motor to drive the rear wheels when it detects a need for more traction.