Eight Chrysler Group LLC
Vehicles Take Home a
Consumers Digest 'Best Buy' for the 2012 Model
Year
- Chrysler, Jeep®,
Dodge, Ram and Fiat brands all have vehicles recognized as Consumers Digest
automotive "Best Buys" for 2012 model year
- Eight awards more
than doubles "Best Buys" honors received in 2010 and in 2011
- November marks the
19th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains
Auburn
Hills, Mich. , Nov 2, 2011 - Consumers Digest announced its annual automotive
"Best Buys," and vehicles from Chrysler Group LLC received eight of them, more
than doubling the number of "Best Buys" Chrysler Group vehicles received in 2010
and 2011. In the past year and a half, the Chrysler Group has introduced 16
all-new or significantly refreshed models, and many awards have been rolling in
ever since.
The Chrysler Group vehicles that received Consumers Digest
automotive "Best Buys" for the 2012 model year are:
Chrysler: 300,
Town & Country
Jeep®: Grand Cherokee
Dodge: Durango,
Grand Caravan, Challenger
Ram: 1500
Fiat: 500
"It's
a tremendous honor to have so many vehicles named as 'Best Buys' by Consumers
Digest," said Doug Betts, Senior Vice President ? Quality, Chrysler Group LLC.
"We have gone to great lengths to enhance the craftsmanship and quality of all
of our vehicles. These awards are evidence that we're producing cars, trucks,
crossovers, minivans and SUVs that customers ? and critics ?
appreciate."
As testament to the improvements made to Chrysler Group's
vehicles in terms of quality and desirability, the Company earlier today
announced that vehicle sales are up for the 19th consecutive month.
The
Consumers Digest automotive "Best Buys" issue is an annual publication in which
editors judge vehicles on many build quality and performance attributes such as
ergonomics, fit and finish, utility, acceleration, fuel economy and many more.
They also look at cost of ownership variables such as resale value, warranty,
maintenance costs and annual operating expenses. The top vehicles in 12 separate
categories are then chosen as "Best Buys" by the publication.
Chrysler 300
Once limited to premium import vehicles costing
twice as much, the new segment-exclusive eight-speed automatic transmission
expands the world-class power and fuel-efficiency of the 2012 Chrysler 300, 300S
(V-6) and 300 Limited models and offers class-leading fuel
efficiency
Packed with a 363 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine
including innovative Fuel Saver Technology, a five-speed automatic transmission
with paddle shifters and Auto Stick, performance-tuned suspension and larger
performance disc brakes, the V-8 models deliver world-class power and
refinement.
Chrysler Town & Country
The 2012 Chrysler Town
& Country minivan builds upon the dramatic, and well received, changes made
in the previous model year. Already imbued with innovative technology,
unparalleled functionality, classic design, and a long list of standard
convenience and safety features, enhancements in refinement make the 2012 Town
& Country a true stand-out in the minivan segment.
Improvements for
2012 include standard leather seating and rear-seat DVD for all models, new
Sapphire Blue interior lighting scheme and a combination leather and wood
steering wheel for Limited models.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2012
Jeep® Grand Cherokee delivers with even more refinement and features that can be
appreciated on the road and off. Since its introduction, the 2012 Jeep® Grand
Cherokee has captured more than 30 awards from an array of opinion-leading
organizations making it the most awarded SUV ever.
The most capable Grand
Cherokee ever with available Jeep Selec-Terrain™ system, Quadra-Lift™ air
suspension, and front and rear independent suspension also has V-6 and V-8
engine choices that offer class-leading driving range (550 miles with V-6) or
class-leading towing capability (7,400 lbs. V-8). Jeep grand Cherokee truly is a
no-compromises, go anywhere and do anything SUV.
Dodge
Challenger
The 2012 Dodge Challenger delivers exactly what muscle car
enthusiasts want ? a powerful and efficient engine lineup, a performance
suspension designed for maximum grip, and athletic head-turning styling ? all
executed with quality and precision.
The Dodge Challenger SXT model and
Challenger SXT Plus package feature the lightweight, aluminum 3.6-liter
Pentastar V-6 engine with 305 horsepower, responsive 268 lb.-ft. of torque and
up to 27 mpg highway. With legendary 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engines under their
hoods, the 2012 Challenger R/T model delivers up to 375 horsepower, 410 lb.-ft.
of torque and 25 mpg highway.
Dodge Durango
Durango has driving
dynamics unlike what you typically find in a Sport Utility. No other SUV on the
road compares with the all-new Dodge Durango's distinctive bold Dodge design
that craftily houses a spacious three-row, seven-passenger functional, flexible
and premium interior, covered in soft-touch materials.
Durango offers
standard seven-passenger seating, best-in-class power, best-in-class towing,
best-in-class driving range of more than 550 miles, more than 30 storage areas,
28 seating configurations and a rear cargo area of nearly 85 cubic feet that
fits a six-foot couch with room for coffee table or a 10-foot ladder with the
front passenger seat folded flat.
Dodge Grand Caravan
The 2012
Dodge Grand Caravan continues to lead the segment it created. New for 2012,
Dodge is offering a new American Value Package (AVP), which makes the
best-selling minivan ever the most affordable minivan with a starting U.S.
Manufacturers' Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $20,995 (all prices exclude
destination).
Chrysler Group invented the modern minivan in 1983 with the
Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Seventy-five minivan-first innovations and
13 million minivan sales later, the company still leads the way with the best,
most innovative vehicle to move people and things.
Ram 1500
The
Ram 1500 offers a variety of models for customers who rely on their trucks for
work and play. In addition to the 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 which produces 390
horsepower, 407 lb.-ft. of torque and 20 mpg, the 2012 Ram 1500 offers a
flex-fuel capable 4.7-liter V-8 providing 310 horsepower and 330 lb.-ft. of
torque, and a 3.7-liter V-6 generating 215 horsepower and 235 lb.-ft. of torque;
five and six-speed automatic transmissions; part-time and on-demand
four-wheel-drive transfer cases and 3.21, 3.55, 3.92 and 4.10 axle
ratios.
The 2012 Ram 1500 is offered in Regular Cab, Quad Cab® and Crew
Cab models, with three box lengths: 8-foot (Regular Cab), 6-foot-4-inches
(Regular Cab and Quad Cab), and 5-foot-7-inches (Ram 1500 Crew Cab). Thirteen
trim levels are available, each with a unique appearance: Tradesman, tradesman
Heavy Duty, Express, Outdoorsman, ST, SLT, Sport, Sport R/T, Lone Star, Big
Horn, Mossy Oak, Laramie and Laramie Longhorn.
Fiat 500
The
2012 Fiat 500 caters to a new generation of Americans who want their vehicle to
be as engaging, individualized, ecologically responsible and technologically
savvy as they are. This modern-generation Fiat 500 offers safety, fuel economy,
quality and advanced technology perfectly balanced with iconic Italian
style.
With its city-friendly proportions, engaging driving dynamics,
all-new fuel-efficient 1.4-liter FIAT MultiAir® engine delivering up to 38
highway mpg and a best-in-class 30 mpg city (with manual transmission), standard
state-of-the-art BLUE&ME™ Handsfree Communication technology, seven standard
air bags and new quality and refinement adaptations for the U.S. market,
including an all-new six-speed automatic transmission, the 2012 Fiat 500 offers
a unique ownership experience.
