Earlier this year, the folks at Dodge set up the boys in blue with the Durango Pursuit police SUV. Just a few months later, however, the law-defending Durango has been tweaked slightly. For the 2019 model year, it wears a new grille design that apes the look of the racy Durango SRT.
In addition to looking more like the Durango SRT, the restyled nose of the 2019 Durango Pursuit is said to offer improved brake cooling thanks to different ducting. And that cooling will be important, given the beefy brakes fitted to the law-enforcing SUV: 13.8-inch front and 13.0-inch rear rotors. For 2019, Dodge also gave the Durango Pursuit a new self-leveling suspension, using Nivomat dampers and upgraded anti-roll bars.
When it comes to power, the Durango Pursuit comes standard with a 3.6-liter V6 good for 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, while the optional 5.7-liter V8 dishes up 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet. Both engines come with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard. The SUV is said to have 8.1 inches of ground clearance, too, ideal for hopping curbs in the pursuit of bad guys.
As expected of any police-rated vehicle, the Durango has been upgraded elsewhere, too. It can be equipped with a high-output alternator and heavy-duty battery, upgraded oil and water cooling. and various wiring upfit-prep packages. On-board tech includes a backup camera, a powered driver's seat, a Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system and tri-zone climate control (specifically design for K-9 units that need to keep dogs in the back nice and cool.
We'll have details on changes for the civilian-spec 2019 Dodge Durango on September 1. For now, hope that you don't see this pursuit-rated version in your rear-view mirror any time soon.
