The Fiat Freemont was the European version of the Dodge Journey, which Chrysler marketed in Europe after model year 2011 under the Fiat badge. The rebadged variant debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. It is a mid-size crossover with five or seven seats, built in Mexico.
Fiat Freemont at a glance
| Launched | Geneva Motor Show 2011 |
|---|---|
| Based on | Dodge Journey (JC49) |
| Built in | Toluca, Mexico |
| Class | mid-size crossover SUV |
| Seats | five or seven |
| Engines at launch | 2.0 Multijet turbodiesel, 140 PS and 170 PS |
| Drive at launch | front-wheel drive |
| Planned later | all-wheel-drive 170 PS diesel and Pentastar V6 |
| On sale in Russia | from 2013 |
| Italian launch | end of May 2011 |
The English Wikipedia article covers the Dodge Journey on which the Freemont is based; only Freemont-specific material was used.
History of the Fiat Freemont
From Journey to Freemont
Chrysler marketed the Mexican-built Dodge Journey in Europe after model year 2011 as the Fiat Freemont, showing the rebadged variant at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The car was styled by Ryan Nagode and was marketed globally in both left- and right-hand drive, including as the Fiat Freemont. Internally identified as the JC49, it shared FCA’s global D-segment platform with the Dodge Avenger and had a wheelbase almost identical to that of the short-wheelbase Dodge Caravan. All examples were built at FCA’s Toluca assembly plant in Mexico, and just over 1.1 million Journeys were made before production ended in 2020.
Launch in Italy
The Freemont went on sale in Italy at the end of May 2011 with two front-wheel-drive turbodiesel variants, the 140 PS and 170 PS versions of Fiat’s 2.0-litre Multijet. Fiat also planned to introduce an all-wheel-drive version of the 170 PS diesel and the Pentastar V6. In Russia the Freemont went on sale in 2013, and FCA marketed both the Freemont and the Journey in Australia, Brazil and China.
Packaging
As a mid-size crossover the car was available in five- and seven-passenger configurations and was noted for its packaging and seating flexibility. That included a front passenger seat with under-cushion storage and a fold-flat back, second-row seats that slid fore and aft, reclined and folded flat with a hip point 40 mm higher than the front row, latching under-floor storage with removable bins, available twin booster seats and single-hand-operable access to the third row, plus available twin fold-flat third-row seats and a rear under-floor storage compartment. The rear doors opened to 90 degrees, unusual among the big three American makers. Trim levels changed over the model years and included entertainment and infotainment options, cloth or heated leather seats and a heated steering wheel.
Design and features
- Rebadged Journey: a Dodge with Fiat badges, shown at Geneva in 2011.
- Mexican production: built at the Toluca plant alongside the Journey.
- Seven seats: five- or seven-passenger layouts with a sliding, reclining second row.
- Clever storage: under-floor bins, under-cushion storage and a fold-flat front seat.
- Multijet diesels: 140 and 170 PS 2.0-litre units at launch.
Fiat Freemont versions
- Freemont 140 PS: front-wheel-drive 2.0 Multijet diesel.
- Freemont 170 PS: more powerful front-wheel-drive diesel.
- All-wheel drive and V6: versions planned by Fiat for later introduction.
The Freemont was Fiat’s large family car of the period, above the Fiat Doblò and the Fiat Ulysse people carrier. More cars are in the Fiat collection.
Sources
- Dodge Journey, English Wikipedia: Freemont launch, engines, Mexican production and packaging
