Five Chrysler Group LLC Vehicles Awarded 2011 Top Safety Picks by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

• New 2011 Dodge Avenger and Dodge Journey named for third straight year
• Jeep® Patriot named Top Safety Pick for second year in a row
• All-new Jeep Grand Cherokee and new Chrysler 200 are awarded Top Safety Picks for 2011 

Five Chrysler Group LLC vehicles — the new Dodge Avenger, Dodge Journey, Chrysler 200, Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Jeep Patriot — have been named Top Safety Picks for 2011 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS annually recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover and rear crashes based on good rating in a series of tests conducted by the Institute.

To be considered, vehicles must have available electronic stability control systems that may significantly reduce crash risks. All five Chrysler Group LLC vehicles feature electronic stability control as standard equipment for 2011.

New to the list of top safety picks by the IIHS are the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 200. In selecting the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the IIHS noted the addition of torso airbags to bolster side crash protection to the vehicle's already comprehensive list of safety features.

Also new to the list of Top Safety Picks is the Chrysler 200. The Chrysler 200 is the automaker's newest addition to the mid-size sedan segment and new to the line-up for 2011.

Both Dodge Avenger and Journey return to the list of IIHS Top Safety Picks for the third straight year. The Jeep Patriot was named a Top Safety Pick for the second straight year.

"With the addition of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 200, Chrysler Group has five Top Safety Picks in the 2011 model year. This recognition by the IIHS underscores our commitment to safety across all vehicle segments," said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President – Engineering, Chrysler Group LLC. "As we continue with our product transformation, we'll continue to engineer safety leadership and more capabilities into all our vehicles." 

The five Chrysler Group selections employ a two-fold approach to safety, including active safety items such as electronic stability systems and anti-lock brakes, as well as passive safety features, such as head restraints for front seat occupants and supplemental side-curtain or side-seat airbags.

"Automakers deserve credit for quickly rising to meet more-challenging criteria for Top Safety Pick," says Adrian Lund, the Institute's president. "That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV – from economy to luxury – plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms."

The 2011 Chrysler Group vehicles named as Top Safety Picks by IIHS are either all-new or have received significant changes for the 2011 model year.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC