The 2026 Dodge Durango gets a more affordable option by (again) offering the good-old V6.
Each automaker has a particular claim to fame, and Dodge has touted its muscle-ness over the past several years. That premise came into sharper focus as the brand jettisoned models that didn’t fit the bill, like the long-running Caravan and the rolling molasses that was the Journey. It kept the Durango going, though, as that model brought several V8 options to the party, and was supposed to be all-Hemi, all the time for 2026. In fact, when Kase and I recently went on the Charger Sixpack drive, Dodge big wigs touted just how awesome and class-exclusive the Durango is by packing so much performance at (relatively) affordable price points. Well, apparently Stellantis has had yet another rethink, as the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is back on the menu. Um…okay.
There’s a clear reason why Dodge would want to do that, of course. The $40,990 price point (including a $1,995 destination fee) undercuts the 5.7-liter Hemi-powered R/T by about $3,700. You then have a more affordable option, and one that you can still get with either rear-wheel drive to save a little bit more money. That price gap narrows should you actually want all-wheel drive, as it’s a $2,000 option on the Pentastar-equipped GT, but standard on all V8 trims.
Then there’s the power — or lack of it. Sure, you get slightly better fuel economy, but the Pentastar puts out 295 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That’s really not a lot when you consider this SUV weighs about 5,000 pounds before you load it up with seven passengers.
If you weren’t already there, I suspect you know where I’m going with this. Much like the old Journey, the return of the V6 Durango — which never went away for fleet buyers as a rental car special — aims to hit a price point for value-minded buyers. But if you can at least get the 360-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 in the GT for just a little bit more, and you don’t have to wring out to make any progress…why not just get the V8?
Of course, if you really want to take that sentiment to the extreme, you could spend effectively double the base, rear-wheel drive V6 GT and go for the $81,990 SRT Hellcat. Your wallet won’t thank you for it at the pump since it makes a measly 14 mpg, but who cares? You have 710 horsepower, baby!
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