Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 3, 2009 -
Today Chrysler LLC earned two top awards from Cars.com. The all-new
2009 Dodge Ram 1500 was named "Work Truck of the Year" and the
2009
Jeep® Wrangler received "Best New Car for Off-roaders."
"Cars.com's Lifestyle Awards focus on selecting the best vehicles for
different consumer lifestyles," said Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief at
Cars.com. "When choosing our Work Truck of the Year, we look for
vehicles that perform well, whether that means getting a commuter to
work comfortably and efficiently or providing a hard worker with power,
durability and a lot of cargo space. With impressive ride quality, a
high-quality cabin and exceptional storage space, the Dodge Ram 1500
was this year's clear winner."
Award winners were selected by Cars.com's expert reviewers and
editorial staff from the field of editors' picks in the Cars.com
Lifestyle Buying Guide. Vehicles in this guide first had to be selected
as Cars.com Best Bets, meaning they were among the model-year's best
offerings in their segment. From there, the team tapped into knowledge
drawn from their time with each vehicle in order to decide which best
met the criteria and intent of the lifestyle category at hand.
"We are honored to see the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram and the Jeep Wrangler
earn these prestigious awards," said Scott Kunselman, Vice President –
Jeep/Truck Product Team, Chrysler LLC. "It's also a testament to the
quality products we are building here at Chrysler."
About the Dodge Ram
The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram includes the industry first-and-only RamBox™
cargo management system that includes versatile, weatherproof,
lockable, illuminated, drainable storage bins, pickup bed dividers, a
2-foot bed extender, and a cargo rail system with sliding adjustable
cleats. The 2009 Ram also includes the first-in-segment coil-spring,
five-link rear suspension fitted to a solid rear axle providing ride
and handling not found on any other pickup truck. A new 5.7-liter
HEMI® V-8 engine with fuel-saving MDS technology provides more
horsepower (390 hp) and torque (407 lb.-ft.) while its best-in-class
aerodynamics – .387 Cd – helps improve fuel economy and performance.
In addition, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram includes first-in-segment,
factory-installed, four-inch dual exhaust styled dramatically into the
rear bumper, first-in-segment store-in-the-floor storage bins with
nearly twice as many bins (42) than the previous model (26) and 35
safety and security technologies. Standard features include
side-curtain air bags and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which
includes all-speed traction control, trailer sway control, hill-start
assist and anti-lock brake system (ABS). Significantly upgraded
interiors with segment-first surround-sound audio system and live
SIRIUS Backseat TV™ round out the interior.
The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab recently earned 5-star ratings
for driver-and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash, the
highest ratings in the U.S. government's safety crash test program.
In addition to winning Cars.com's Work Truck of the Year Award, the
all-new Dodge Ram has picked up nine other key awards since its
introduction and was recently chosen by Car and Driver as the best
full-size pickup in a head-to-head comparison test in Texas, beating
the new Ford F-150. Other key awards include:
- ICOTY – 2009 International Truck of the Year
- Truckin' magazine – Truck of the Year
- Texas Auto Writer's Association (TAWA) – 2009
Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas
- Edmunds.com – Inside Line Editors Most Wanted 2009
- Autobytel.com – 2009 MyRide/Autobytel Editor's
Choice Awards - Truck of the Year
- Maxim – Achievement in Party-Enabling Technology
(RamBox)
- Ward's AutoWorld – Ward's 10 Best Engines of 2009
(2009 Dodge Ram 5.7 HEMI engine)
- Automobile Journalists Association of Canada –
Best New Pickup
- Sobre Ruedas – Sobre Ruedas Best Pickup Truck for
'08
About the Jeep Wrangler
In tribute to the heritage of the Jeep brand, the 2009 Jeep Wrangler
retains the body-on-frame chassis, solid front and rear axles,
removable doors, fold-down windshield and most-capable drivetrains that
establish it as the most capable SUV.
Whether choosing a Wrangler X, Sahara or Rubicon® model, Jeep
Wrangler customers experience best-in-class off-road capability in a
true open-air sport-utility vehicle. Jeep Wrangler does not wander from
the brand's coveted core values of freedom, adventure, mastery and
authenticity.
With 68 years of legendary off-road prowess under the hood, the 2009
Jeep Wrangler doesn't sacrifice anything inside the cabin, offering
safety and convenience features, interior space, versatility and
comfort.
The 2009 Jeep Wrangler models add even more refinement with standard
Hill Start Assist (HSA) that prevents rollback on a graded surface. In
addition, available Trailer Sway Control (TSC) monitors vehicle
movement relative to the intended path and activates the Electronic
Stability Program (ESP) if the trailer begins to sway outside set
parameters.
About the Cars.com Lifestyle Awards
Launched to recognize new vehicles that best suit lifestyles of today's
car shoppers, the Cars.com Lifestyle Awards acknowledge the best cars
across a number of categories that car shoppers can identify with based
on their personal vehicle needs.
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering
credible and easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts
to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how
much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information,
side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased
editorial content and a large selection of new and used car inventory,
Cars.com puts more than 9 million unique visitors who log on to the
site each month in control of their shopping process with the
information they need to make confident buying decisions.
To view comprehensive awards criteria, visit
Cars.com. Additionally, behind-the-scenes
insight into the award selection process and inside debate can be found
on Cars.com's blog, KickingTires.