Fiat’s rebadged Dodge Journey, the European market Fiat Freemont, can be ordered in Italy starting today. Available in two trim levels, Freemont and Urban, the crossover will retail from €25,700 ($37,000) for the base equipment package, with the Urban version to cost €27,200 ($39,170).
Standard equipment for the base model includes a seven seats, three-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, radio-CD unit with MP3, 4.3-inch touch screen, trip computer, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, tyre pressure monitoring system, keyless entry system and child booster system.
The Urban trim adds to these a Bluetooth system, lights sensor, leather-covered steering wheel and gearshift lever, parking sensors, roof rails, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, electrically adjustable rearview mirrors and blacked-out rear windows.
For the moment, the Freemont is offered only with a 2.0-liter Multijet diesel engine, available with two output levels of 140 and 170 horsepower. The latter has a peak torque of 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) available from 1,750 rpm, helping the Freemont reach 100 km/h from a standing start in 10.2 seconds.
Both the base and the Urban versions are fitted with the 140 horsepower engine; while upgrading to the 170HP unit will cost buyers €1,500 ($2,160). Later this year Fiat will also offer the Chrysler-sourced 276HP 3.6-liter V6 petrol engine. The higher output diesel and the V6 gasoline unit will also be offered with AWD versions and will be linked to automatic transmissions.
The steering and the suspension of the Freemont have been modified to suit European tastes, with Fiat engineers improving the geometry of the front suspension to reduce body roll and optimizing the balance between comfort and handling. Especially for the launch event, Fiat offers the Urban model for €24,900 ($35,860), while also throwing in leather upholstery, free of charge.
By Dan Mihalascu
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