AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• New 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee wins 18th Annual Northwest Automotive Press Association's (NWAPA) Northwest Sport Utility Vehicle of the Year competition
• Jeep Grand Cherokee also wins "Best Off-Road SUV" category
• Award comes days after Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association names Grand Cherokee its 2011 SUV of the Year winner
• NWAPA journalists cite Grand Cherokee's comfort and capability

The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) has named the all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee the "Northwest 2011 SUV of the Year," giving praise to its comfort and capability in all kinds of driving situations. NWAPA journalists also recognized the Jeep Grand Cherokee as winner of its "Best Off-Road SUV" award.

"In the Pacific Northwest, we can go from rain-soaked city streets up to the snowy mountains in about an hour," said Jeffrey Zurschmeide, NWAPA President. "We love our great outdoors as much as our coffee and micro-brew. So we look for an SUV that's comfortable and capable in all kinds of situations. To make the grade up here, an SUV has to meet the unique requirements of the Northwest, and that's why our members overwhelmingly voted the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee the Northwest SUV of the Year."

Twenty-six journalists from throughout the Northwest U.S. region drove and evaluated 20 different 2011 model year SUVs and crossover vehicles during a one-day competition late last week in Snoqualmie, Wash., that included hill-climbing and descent abilities, ride comfort, low-range handling, stability handling and emergency braking maneuvers.

"The Pacific Northwest provides perhaps the widest variety of driving conditions in the country, so it's a perfect place for all of the driving attributes of the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee," said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "We're especially pleased that the NWAPA's journalist members recognize Grand Cherokee's comfort and capability in all weather conditions, both on- and off-road."

The 2011 Northwest SUV of the Year and Best Off-Road SUV awards come just days after the Jeep Grand Cherokee was recognized as "SUV of the Year" by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association. These awards are the most recent in a long list of honors given to the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Other accolades include:

• Consumers Digest "Best Buy"
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) "Top Safety Pick"
• Four Wheeler magazine's "Four Wheeler of the Year"
• 2011 Official Winter Vehicle of New England
• MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Award for Best Large Utility
• Detroit News "Truck of the Year"
• AutoWeek "Best of the Best 2011 Truck award"
• Urban Truck of the Year
• Internet Truck of the Year
• Popular Mechanics "Automotive Excellence Award for Off-Road Ability"
• Texas Auto Writers Association "SUV of Texas"
• Texas Auto Writers Association "Full-size SUV of Texas"
• Ruedas ESPN "Best SUV"

Jeep Brand

Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence.

The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. To meet consumer demand around the world, all six Jeep models are sold outside North America - and all are available in right-hand drive versions and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Chrysler Group LLC sells and services vehicles in approximately 120 countries around the world.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC