Giulia

Make
Alfa Romeo
Segment
Sedan

The Dodge Journey three-row crossover first hit the market for 2009. No one ever really liked it, but to this day it's relatively good value for the money. That being said, it's way past its expiration date. The Journey is no longer competitive and those who buy them either: a) don't know any better or b) do so with only value in mind. Fortunately, a new Journey is only a couple of years away. Automotive News got a hold of the automaker's upcoming production release schedule (as of now), and in 2019 – a decade after the first-gen launched – the next Journey arrives.

Here's what we know about it: Instead of a family crossover, the new Journey will completely abandon its old image for outright sex appeal. It'll reportedly be based on FCA's Giorgio platform, the very same architecture that underpins the Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossover. But Dodge wants the 2019 Journey to be unique, so it'll become a rear-wheel-drive-based, two-row crossover. In fact, production will even shift from Mexico to Italy. Cool. This is all just further evidence that Dodge is serious about rebranding itself as a sort of high-value performance brand, a far cry from the family friendly image it once owned during the longtime Caravan minivan era.

Powertrain details are still unknown at this point, but Dodge has a pretty solid catalogue to choose from. We'd be willing to bet the familiar 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, capable of at least 305 hp, will be an option. And don't forget this: the 2019 Journey's platform is fully capable of handling the Stelvio QV's, Ferrari-derived twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 with 505 hp. Honestly though, the chances of that engine happening is slim to none; the important thing is that this state-of-the-art platform was engineered from the get-go for high-performance. Given Dodge's recent record of producing high-revving Chargers and Challengers at decent prices, the new Journey has a lot of potential.

Speaking of which, will it even keep the Journey name? Probably shouldn't, given what we already know. Just saying, Dodge. As for the midsize three-row crossover segment Dodge is abandoning, it'll be filled by Chrysler, who will be launching one of its own in 2019 as well. And no, it won't have Alfa Romeo roots.