Dodge Journey-based Fiat Freemont will debut in Geneva

Chrysler has had plenty of partnerships over the years, and as odd as it may have seemed in the beginning, the tie-in with Fiat arguably makes more sense than any of those past pairings. Chrysler doesn’t have much of a presence overseas, and Fiat doesn’t in North America. Putting them together, then, could be the perfect formula for global success. The Fiat 500 is coming to North America, and while we’ve been hearing about Chrysler vehicles being sent to Europe for quite some time now, this is the first actual proof.

The vehicle you see here will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show as the Fiat Freemont. Look familiar? That’s because it’s essentially the Dodge Journey with a different badge on the nose. Otherwise it’s essentially the same vehicle, produced alongside the Journey at the same plant in Toluca, Mexico.

The only major difference to speak of is under the hood, where Fiat’s own 2.0-liter MultiJet turbo diesel engines (with 140 or 170 horsepower) will be offered with front-wheel drive and a manual gearbox initially. All-wheel drive, an automatic transmission and Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 will be offered shorly after the initial launch. The full details are available in the press release after the break, and see the Journey-come-Fiat for yourself in the high-res gallery below.

Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all?

The Dodge Viper has always been an impressive looking vehicle, but its muscled lines haven’t ever been what we’d call feminine. That may change with the next-generation version of the Snake. Ralph Gilles, head ofChrysler design and the Dodge brand, says that the look of the next Dodge Viper will be inspired by “a naked woman on the beach.”

Sorry, but we’re having a hard time coming up with a witty quip after that one (well, other than the one in the headline).

Gilles made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Conference, and while the revelation about the vehicle’s design inspiration was a big highlight, he also announced that the next Viper would take dead aim at stealing buyers away from both the Porsche brand and the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s especially true when it comes to the crowd of younger buyers – guys and girls under 45.

The next-generation Viper is set to debut in 2013, and while that gives Dodge plenty of time to get the car right, we don’t expect either Porsche or Chevrolet to sit back and allow the Viper to play catch up. Suddenly we’re very excited to see what the sports car world looks like in two years.