What Is the SXT Package on a Dodge Durango (Explained)

Have you ever wondered what is the SXT package on a Dodge Durango? Well, look no more. We´ve got you covered.

When buying a new car, you usually have multiple trim levels to choose from, and the Dodge Durango is no exception. There are multiple trim packages available for the Durango, ranging from the SXT to the SRT Hellcat.

The SXT is the entry-level trim package for the Durango. The Durango SXT is the option to go for if you’re not looking to spend more than you have to on a mid-size SUV, but you still get a good amount of useful options as standard (with the opportunity to add more if you want).

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Durango SXT and explaining what exactly you get with this trim level, as well as what you have the option of getting on top of the standard features.

Dodge Durango Overview

Before we get into the specifics of the SXT, let’s take a look at the Durango as a whole and see what it offers.

The current Dodge Durango is the third generation of the Durango model and has been in production since 2010. Since then, the Durango has received minor updates to its styling, equipment, and drivetrain technology, but has remained largely the same for the past decade.

The Durango is available with several engine options, depending on the trim level you get. These range from the Pentastar V6 with 290 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque all the way up to the monstrous supercharged Hellcat V8, with over 700 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. 

Most of the Durango trim levels come standard with rear-wheel drive, with the option of upgrading to all-wheel drive if you want.

The exceptions are the SRT and SRT Hellcat trim levels, which come with all-wheel drive as standard. As of 2018, all Durango models come with the same transmission, a ZF 8-speed automatic. 

Depending on the trim level you get and the options you equip it with, the Durango can tow anywhere between 6,200 and 8,700 pounds, making it capable of towing things like camping trailers, boats, ATVs, and most other things that you might want to tow.

Dodge Durango SXT Features

Being that the Durango SXT is the base model of the Durango, the features it comes standard with are fairly limited, and you also don’t have as many available options as you would with a higher trim level.

The upside to this, of course, is that the Durango SXT is less expensive as a result.

Let’s now go over the features of the Durango SXT and show you what you get standard with this model and what you have available as an option.

Powertrain Options

Unfortunately, if you opt for the SXT package, you don’t get a choice of engines. Some other Durango trim levels allow you to choose between the aforementioned Pentastar V6 or the beefier 5.7-liter HEMI V8, but if you get the SXT package then the V6 is the only engine option available to you.

That’s not to say that the V6 isn’t worth having, though. With 290 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, the 3.6-liter Pentastar is strong enough to get the Durango up to speed and help it haul stuff without too many problems.

The Durango with the V6 manages a 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds, which is perfectly fine for a large vehicle like this.

Plus, the Pentastar is more fuel-efficient than its V8 counterparts, thanks to its smaller size, variable valve timing, and stop/start technology which automatically shuts the engine off when the car is stopped in traffic and automatically starts it again when you need to move again.

As for the actual fuel economy figures themselves, the V6 in the SXT offers 22 mpg (12.7 L/100 km) during city driving and 29 mpg (9.6 L/100 km) during highway driving for a combined fuel economy of about 25 mpg.

The Durango SXT also comes with the ZF 8-speed transmission that can be found in all other Durangos and is available with a 3.45 rear axle ratio.

With all of this, the SXT is capable of towing a respectable 6,500 pounds, which should be more than enough for the average person who doesn’t regularly need to tow heavy loads. 

Exterior Styling Options

Again, you don’t get a ton of variety when choosing your exterior styling options, but you do get a few areas where you can make some changes.

The SXT comes with nine different available paint colors, although there isn’t a huge amount of variety in these colors compared to other trim levels.

Destroyer Grey and White Knuckle are the two colors that are available as standard, but for an additional cost, you can upgrade to one of the seven optional colors for the SXT.

You also get a choice of two aluminum wheel styles. You can opt for the standard 18-inch painted wheels, or if you want something that looks a little more sporty and aggressive you can pick the 20-inch blacked-out wheels.

The 20-inch wheels are also included in the optional Blacktop package, which aside from the wheels also includes blacked-out badges, exterior mirrors, grille, headlight bezels, and headliner, and body-color fascia, shark fin antenna, and moulding. The Blacktop package also includes dual exhaust tips and a roof rack delete.

In addition, you can also spec your Durango SXT with chrome side-steps, which gives it a little extra visual flair on top of making vehicle access a bit easier.

Interior Styling Options

The SXT package offers a pretty limited variety of options in terms of how to customize your Durango’s interior styling, but there are a few options that exist.

The standard color combination for the interior is black trim pieces and black seats, but if you want you can upgrade to black interior trim with beige seats.

Other Durango trim levels allow you to customize your seat materials, but if you get the SXT then cloth seats are all that’s available.

Equipment Options

While options related to interior and exterior styling may be a bit limited, the Durango SXT offers a fair bit more in terms of the actual equipment available.

The Durango SXT comes standard with seating for five, but you can add in an optional third row and bring that number up to seven.

You can also swap the second-row bench seat out for two captain’s chairs, giving you seating for four with two rows and seating for six with the optional third row.

There are plenty of other options available which make the SXT more practical, including a towing package that comes with a trailer hitch, improved engine cooling, load-levelling suspension in the rear, and a full-sized spare wheel and tire.

Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are also available options for the SXT, as in an optional power sunroof.

The SXT comes standard with Uconnect 4, Dodge’s infotainment system, and an 8.4″ touchscreen display. However, you have the option of upgrading to the Uconnect 5 system with a 10.1″ display if you wish.

All Durangos come with a backup camera, but you can upgrade your SXT’s safety equipment to include blindspot monitoring with cross-path detection.

This allows your car to detect when someone is about to cross your path when you’re backing out of a parking spot since it’s not always easy to spot incoming traffic in this situation. 

References

https://www.dodge.ca/en/durango/