Refuel cheaply with a huge V8? Yes, that is possible, at least within certain limits. We verified it in this test of the Durango 5.7 R/T LPG
The flood of roomy SUVs with tuneful V8 engines has all but dried up in Europe. Because in other parts of the world, car companies, including European ones, still offer these types of cars, which have been eliminated on our continent to avoid CO2 fines.
One of these loud companions is the Dodge Durango. Basically, the current third generation has been on the market for eleven years. It’s technically a relative of the fourth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2) sold through 2021, but the Dodge was always one category larger and available with three rows of seats.
The new Grand Cherokee 5 (WL) is now also available in a seven-seater long version, but not between us. Because the long Grand Cherokee is not conceived as a plug-in hybrid, and Stellantis no longer brings Jeep-brand pure combustion engines to Europe: you know, the CO2 penalties for cars.
Savings thanks to the liquefied gas system
Whether this gap will be closed by parallel import remains to be seen; Until then, the Dodge Durango remains an alternative for those who don’t like the lukewarm sound and form of power delivery that takes some getting used to in a four-cylinder hybrid.
In terms of size, the Durango fits in the league of the Mercedes GLS and the Audi Q7; but it ranks below the US supersize class: Stellantis, mind you, now has (outside Europe) the new RAM pickup-based Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
However, in the Durango one travels anything but tight; even the third row of seats is enough for two adults. And the trunk is huge.
As for the chassis, the Durango is still up to date, although it is no longer new. The coil springs soak up bumps willingly, only very short bumps are surprisingly clear on the seats: that’s where the low-profile tires with 20-inch wheels make themselves felt.
Unfortunately, the test car arrived with winter tires. This may be why it reacts a bit sluggishly in corners and why the stable Brembo fixed caliper braking system cannot play to its strengths.
Switch to LPG at the wheel
The cockpit, which has only been partially digitized, is fairly conventional: even with the latest facelift, the designers resisted the urge to shelve all the buttons in favor of distracting touchscreen menus; here, almost everything is still pressing or turning.
The most important button for anyone who wants to save money on refueling is hidden to the left behind the steering wheel: the switch to LPG.
The liquefied gas filler neck is located below the normal fuel filler cap, a visually clean solution, if somewhat complicated.
You can only tell that he is driving on gas instead of petrol by the fact that the “Prins” inscription lights up; otherwise there is no noticeable difference, not even in performance.
The V8, which is basically conservative due to its OHV block, reacts spontaneously and emphatically to the throttle, and the cylinder deactivation, audible by the pitch change, works just as well on gas as the fuel consumption display on the on-board computer.
According to our measurements, consumption is 18 percent higher in gas operation than in gasoline operation. But because the price per liter is about 90 cents cheaper in the US, fuel costs for the Durango are still below the level of a compact gasoline engine like the Mercedes GLC with 211 hp.
Thus, the pleasure of eight cylinders remains affordable and practicable: the network of LPG filling stations is dense enough, even abroad.
And the 90-litre tank, of which only 72 can be used, is enough for autonomies that electric drivers can only dream of under the same conditions. Furthermore, it can carry 93 liters of petrol, resulting in a very respectable total range of over 1,000 kilometres.