In recent hours, an interesting render by digital creator Nihar Mazumdar has appeared online, proposing a personal reinterpretation of the Dodge Journey and hypothesizing the return of the celebrated American SUV in a completely new guise based on the second-generation Opel Grandland.
New Dodge Journey render imagines SUV return based on Opel Grandland
During a challenging period for the Dodge brand, which is struggling to gain momentum in the North American market, the idea of reintroducing a model like the Journey, which disappeared from lineups in 2020 after a long career that began in 2009, could represent a strategic opportunity. With the Hornet failing to achieve expected success due to internal competition and tariffs that hindered its distribution, a mid-size crossover could fill the void between the current Hornet and the more imposing Durango.
The project imagined by Mazumdar draws inspiration from the Opel Grandland, a compact SUV developed on Stellantis’ STLA Medium platform, shared with models like the Peugeot 3008, Citroën C5 Aircross, and Jeep Compass. In this vision, the new Dodge Journey would be slightly more compact than the original version, yet still with more generous proportions than the Hornet.
The render’s styling features a solid and adventurous design inspired by the group’s global crossovers, with the added advantage of contained production costs and updated powertrains. However, according to the designer, one element would need revision: the interior, deemed too “European” for American audiences, should be reworked to better suit local tastes.
Naturally, this is an independent vision and not an official project, but the possibility of a Journey return with a more modern approach compatible with current Stellantis platforms doesn’t seem so far-fetched. At a time when Dodge is rethinking its identity, amid the failure of electric muscle cars and an increasingly limited model portfolio, an SUV like this could represent a concrete option to relaunch the brand and recapture a neglected market segment.
