Jalopnik reports “the newly-revealed 2009 Dodge Journey has become the first 2009 model from any automaker to see any form of sales incentives.”  The Journey is Dodge’s first large crossover, offering three rows of seating.  The automaker is offering a $1,000 cash rebate on the Journey, which only recently reached dealerships.

Early reviews of the Journey have been mixed, with test drivers finding it a bit underpowered but praising its interior storage. 

Kicking Tires adds, “Releasing incentives on a brand-new model could be considered an admission of market failure. No automaker wants to do it, but sometimes it makes sense to help spur sales.”  KT, however, comments, “perhaps some of the blame belongs to the down economy.”

A spike in gas prices has driven most buyers to smaller cars, making this a challenging time to introduce a new minivan alternative like the Journey.

Autoblog agrees, “It just never looks good when the manufacturer offers cash to entice buyers.” 

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