2015 Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango Named Must-Shop SUVs for Towing From AutoTrader.com

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Oct 16, 2014, 04:29 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

List honors SUVs that present the perfect combination of towing ability and interior luxury
The Most Awarded SUV ever – the Jeep® Grand Cherokee comes complete with best-in-class towing capability of 7,400 pounds and 6,200 pounds with Pentastar-powered V-6 engine
The ultimate 'no compromise' Dodge Durango three-row SUV delivers best-in-class towing of up to 7,400 pounds with HEMI® V-8 engine and 6,200 pounds with V-6 engine

The 2015 Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango are Must-Shop SUVs for Towing according to AutoTrader.com, which recognizes SUVs that offer the perfect combination of towing ability and interior luxury.

"Having both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango make AutoTrader's list of Must-Shop SUVs for Towing recognizes our commitment to offer our customers best-in-class towing designed for maximum capability and optimum fuel economy without sacrificing vehicle performance or luxury," said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales, Chrysler Group LLC. "These SUVs provide the ultimate combination of power, towing and efficiency all rolled into one great package."

Jeep Grand Cherokee Towing Capability
Producing a class-leading 240 horsepower and a massive 420 lb.-ft. of torque, Jeep's award-winning 24-valve dual-overhead cam 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 delivers clean-diesel technology with low CO2 emissions. Capable of towing a best-in-class 7,400 pounds, the EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers 22 miles per gallon (mpg) city / 30 mpg highway in 4x2 models, resulting in a best-in-class fuel economy and a best-in-class driving range of more than 730 miles.

Featuring variable-valve timing (VVT), the standard flex-fuel Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 delivers 290 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. Pentastar-powered Grand Cherokee models tow up to 6,200 pounds and get 17 mpg city / 25 mpg highway on 4x2 models and 17 mpg city / 24 mpg highway on 4x4 models. A driving range of more than 600 miles is best-in-class for gas-powered SUVs.

The available 5.7-liter V-8 packs 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque with best-in-class towing capacity of 7,400 pounds. With VVT and Chrysler Group's seamless Fuel Saver cylinder-deactivation technology – V-8 fuel economy is 14 mpg city / 22 mpg highway on 4x2 models, and 14 mpg city / 20 mpg highway on 4x4 models.

Dodge Durango Towing Capability
The Durango's standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine generates an impressive 290 horsepower (295 horsepower on Rallye, Blacktop and Citadel) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The Pentastar V-6 engine allows Durango to tow a best-in-class 6,200 pounds, and delivers up to 25 miles per gallon (mpg) on the highway.

The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine produces a best-in-class 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque with a best-in-class tow rating of 7,400 pounds. The 5.7-liter engine's Fuel Saver Technology with cylinder-deactivation seamlessly alternates between smooth, high-fuel-economy four-cylinder mode, when less power is needed, and V-8 mode when more power is in demand. This optimizes fuel economy when V-8 power is not required, without sacrificing vehicle performance or capability, delivering up to 23 mpg highway.

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee — the most awarded SUV ever and the vehicle that has long defined what a premium SUV should be — receives even more content for the 2015 model year. The Grand Cherokee Summit models receive added features as well as a new Summit California Edition appearance package that further enhances Summit's premium exterior aesthetics.

Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers best-in-class 30 miles per gallon (mpg) highway courtesy of an available 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine and standard eight-speed transmission. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 boasts an unmatched driving range of more than 730 miles.

Legendary Jeep capability comes courtesy of three available 4x4 systems, Jeep's Quadra-Lift air suspension system and class-leading Selec-Terrain traction management system. Grand Cherokee boasts best-in-class towing of 7,400 pounds, and a crawl ratio of 44.1:1.

A refined exterior design — complete with available bi-xenon headlamps with signature LED daytime running lamps (DRL) — provides a premium appearance. Interior luxury is achieved with premium amenities, including Natura leather, exotic open-pore wood trim and unique color offerings.

The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee is available in five trim levels: Laredo, Laredo E, Limited, Overland and Summit.

Dodge Durango
With a standard eight-speed automatic transmission, improved fuel economy and performance, LED exterior lighting, two interior touchscreens, a programmable instrument cluster and an available high-definition dual-screen Blu-ray entertainment system, the 2015 Dodge Durango reaches even higher levels of sophistication building on its proven performance, utility and comfort.

Named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for three years, Durango's standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine paired with the standard eight-speed transmission generates an impressive 290 horsepower (295 horsepower on Rallye, Citadel and select Blacktop models) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, and can tow up to a best-in-class 6,200 pounds. The V-6 powered Durango also features a best-in-class driving range of over 600 miles on a tank and up to 25 miles per gallon.

The available 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine produces a best-in-class 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque with a best-in-class tow rating of 7,400 pounds. The 5.7-liter engine's Fuel Saver Technology with cylinder-deactivation allows the HEMI V-8 engine to achieve up to 23 miles per gallon.

The instrument panel features a redesigned center stack that houses the 5-inch and 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreens. The bottom of the center stack houses a media hub with an SD card slot, USB outlet and auxiliary jacks, as well as a storage bin. The center console features a segment-first rotary shifter for the standard eight-speed automatic that adds another level of refinement over the traditional gated automatic shifter. The instrument cluster has also been given the high-tech treatment and now includes a full-color 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) screen. Standard on all models, this screen allows for drivers to customize in more than 100 ways how information is presented.

About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA), designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, and the SRT performance vehicle designation. The Company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C and Mopar products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, FCA builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total vehicle sales in 2013, is an international automotive group engaged in designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing and selling vehicles and components and production systems. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCAU."

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