Dodge and Jeep® Brands Take Home Trophies at 11th Annual Carspondent.com Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards Competition

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

• Dodge Durango named "Best Value Family"
• Dodge Journey named "Best Value On-Road"
• Jeep® Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel wins "Luxury Off-Road" category
• More than 100 athletes and outdoor enthusiasts evaluated the vehicles and voted for the winners

The Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey and Jeep® Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel were each named winners in this year's Active Lifestyle Vehicle (ALV) awards.

The 11th annual Carspondent.com "Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year" awards competition took place at Local Motors in Chandler, Arizona, on Saturday, Oct. 18.

More than 100 athletes and outdoor enthusiasts from around the country who participate in sports, such as marathon running, bicycling, soccer and kayaking, evaluated and judged new vehicles in the 10 award categories in this unique competition.

Dodge and Jeep brand vehicles were winners in the ALV event, taking three of the eight categories:

• Best Value On-Road (MSRP at or below $35,000) – Dodge Journey
• Best Value Family – Dodge Durango
• Luxury Off-Road (MSRP over $35,000 with true off-road capability) – Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel

"Winning these important Active Lifestyle Vehicle awards is truly a proud accomplishment for the Dodge and Jeep brands," said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales, Chrysler Group LLC. "The Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel offer functionality and performance for any adventure, so they're an ideal fit for customers with active lifestyles."

The ALV awards are the only annual vehicle awards in which active, outdoor enthusiasts choose the winners, along with a small contingent of automotive journalists who accompany them in the ride-and-drive tests. Testing includes a challenging off-road course as well as on-road driving.

"This year's Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year was the most competitive in the program's 11-year history with hundredths of a point often determining category winners. Jeep and Dodge resonate with our audience because of the brands' outdoor focus, versatile yet stylish interior designs and strong powertrains," said Nina Russin, a co-founder of the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year awards.

"The EcoDiesel engine in the Jeep Grand Cherokee is excellent for towing and extends range between fill-ups on long road trips. The Dodge Journey gives growing families the interior versatility they need in a relatively small vehicle at an affordable price. And the Dodge Durango combines the truck attributes sport-utility enthusiasts crave with good fuel economy and excellent road manners."

The ALV awards were co-founded by Bob Babbitt, a member of the Ironman Hall of Fame, and Jim Woodman, longtime journalist, triathlete and founder of Active.com as well as Nina Russin, longtime distance runner and auto journalist. 

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 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.

Dodge Journey
Dodge Journey is America's most affordable and versatile crossover and is the only crossover in the segment to offer the choice of four- or six-cylinder engines, five- or seven-passenger seating and front or all-wheel drive. Journey continues to deliver the latest in vehicle connectivity and customization with the Chrysler Group's Uconnect 8.4 infotainment system. With best-in-class storage space, available fold-flat seats, second-row in-floor storage and front-passenger "Flip-N-Stow" in-seat storage, the interior isn't just a nice place to be, it also offers best-in-class utility.

The Dodge Journey has more than 40 safety and security features, and is America's most affordable seven-seat crossover with a starting MSRP of $19,995. The Dodge Journey is available in AVP, SE, SXT, Crossroad, Limited and R/T trim levels.

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.

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC