Next-Generation Dodge Durango Confirmed for 2029 Launch

Dodge has been building the current-generation Durango since 2010, making it one of the oldest vehicles still on sale in the United States. Nevertheless, a replacement isn’t coming anytime soon. Parent company Stellantis has announced that a successor won’t arrive until 2029, by which time the current model will have been around for nearly two decades.

As is the case today, the next-generation Durango will be produced at the Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson. Stellantis is investing $130 million to prepare the Michigan plant for the fourth-generation model. That figure represents just one percent of a massive $13 billion investment the automotive giant plans to make in the United States by the end of the decade.

It’s the company’s largest investment since Chrysler was founded a century ago. The annual production capacity is projected to jump by 50 percent compared to current levels. Stellantis will spend $600 million and create 3,300 jobs to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in 2027 to produce the Jeep Cherokee and Compass.

Nearly $400 million will be directed to the Toledo Assembly Complex, where more than 900 jobs will be added to build a Ram mid-size truck starting in 2028. The pickup was initially planned for Belvidere, but Stellantis has since changed course and moved production of the Dakota’s spiritual successor from Illinois to Ohio.

In Michigan, the Warren Truck Assembly Plant will undergo a $100 million retooling ahead of a large gas-powered SUV and a range-extended EV slated for 2028. Stellantis expects the project to create over 900 jobs.

Another $100 million is earmarked for a new four-cylinder combustion engine (codenamed “GMET4 EVO”) to be built in Indiana from 2026, generating more than 100 new jobs.

Although new models from Dodge, Jeep, and Ram are mentioned, Stellantis has yet to provide updates on Chrysler. That doesn’t mean the storied brand is on its last legs. It now has its own dedicated design studio and is, according to Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles, “ripe for a new chapter.” The latest word is that Chrysler will “experiment” by filling gaps in Stellantis' portfolio while aiming to attract “brand-new conquest customers.”

Like many other automakers, Chrysler once planned to go fully electric by 2028, but that’s no longer the case. Its future products will be built on the STLA Medium and STLA Large platforms, both of which accommodate combustion engines and electric drivetrains.

While Stellantis remains tight-lipped on Chrysler’s immediate future, it does promise to roll out five new vehicles and 19 “refreshed products” across its vast portfolio by the end of 2029. With any luck, a portion of that $13 billion investment will go toward reviving the long-struggling brand.