Dodge Journey to become Fiat Freemont

Dodge Journey is getting rebadged as the Fiat Freemont for Europe

You might as well get used to this.

Cross-pollination and re-badging between Chrysler and Fiat is going to move on apace in 2011 and this is just the start, with the recently re-fettled Dodge Journey being tweaked and re-badged for Europe as the Fiat Freemont.

Sergio Marchionne sees the Journey doing much better in Europe badged as a Fiat, and he’s probably right. But it’s not just a straight badge change job to go from Dodge Journey to Fiat Freemont.

The Fiat Freemont will be the first Chrysler to get a heart transplant from Fiat, with a Fiat 168bhp 2.0-litre JTDM lump being dropped in, replacing the VW sourced oil-burner the Journey currently uses in overseas markets.

In effect the Fiat Freemont is seen as a replacement for the recently dumped Fiat Ulysee MPV, and will debut officially at the Geneva Motor Show in March before going on sale around Europe. It will continue to be built in Mexico alongside the North American Fiat 500.

Which isn’t going to please Fiat’s unions very much.

By Cars UK