Truck-based chassis. Fifteen-mpg-combined fuel economy. Less passenger space than a big crossover. With all that's going against it, the 2009 Chrysler Aspen is looking like a lonely Neanderthal surrounded by smarter Homo sapiens. A new "two-mode" hybrid is a last-minute attempt to evolve for changing competition, but it seems unlikely to be enough to save this outdated SUV.
The Aspen is essentially a Dodge Durango gussied up with more chrome and more features. But it remains a truck-based SUV, which means a body-on-frame design (rather than the increasingly more common carlike unit-body design of crossover SUVs) and rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. This rugged construction does lend itself better to towing and off-roading. And its size -- bigger than a Ford Explorer but smaller than a GMC Yukon -- has typically been touted as an advantage as well. That body-on-frame construction also lends it a rough-and-tumble ride and a heavier curb weight that requires big-time engines that have big-time fuel consumption. Having said that, one of the Aspen's most impressive features is its optional "Hemi" engine. Packing 376 horsepower, the 5.7-liter V8 features cylinder deactivation technology, which helps return fuel economy no worse than that of the Aspen's smaller standard V8.
For the best fuel economy, there is the new-for-2009 Chrysler Aspen HEV hybrid. Utilizing so-called "two-mode" hybrid technology co-developed by General Motors, BMW and the company formerly known as Daimler-Chrysler, this powertrain features a de-powered version of the 5.7-liter V8, plus a pair of potent electric motors and a trick transmission with variable gear ratios, which maximizes the efficiency of both power sources. The result is combined fuel economy of about 20 mpg, a 5-mpg increase over the regular 5.7-liter V8. Unfortunately, all that hybrid hardware jacks the Aspen's price up by $3,000 over the similarly equipped non-hybrid model.
