AutoPacific Names Ram Truck Brand ‘Most Ideal Brand’ for 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards

August 14, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  The Ram Truck brand has been named the “Most Ideal Popular Brand” in AutoPacific’s 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards based on owners’ ratings of their 2013 cars and trucks.

Additionally, two Chrysler Group LLC vehicles, the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, were named “Most Ideal Mid-size SUV” and “Most Ideal Minivan” in their respective classes. Jeep Grand Cherokee has been named “Most Ideal Mid-size SUV” three years in a row.

“For any business, positive recognition from customers is the ultimate compliment and we take their input very seriously,” said Reid Bigland, Chrysler Group’s Head of U.S. Sales. “We’re proud to say that Chrysler Group is delivering the most of what consumers are looking for.”

The Ideal Vehicle Awards are based on responses to AutoPacific's New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey. AutoPacific asked owners to indicate a desire to change their vehicle in 15 different categories, ranging from power and acceleration to safety features and storage, after having owned and driven their vehicle for 90 days.

“The Ideal Vehicle Awards show that marketers, product planners, researchers and engineers have developed and launched a vehicle executed best for their target market,” said Dan Hall, vice president of AutoPacific.

Based on a survey of more than 52,000 new car and light truck owners, vehicles with the least amount of desired changes are recognized as ideal.

Ram Truck Brand
The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as the newest Chrysler Group LLC vehicle brand. Creating a stand-alone brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered.

2013 Chrysler Town & Country
Chrysler Town & Country is the Most Awarded Minivan, with the highest owner loyalty in the segment, and the most innovative seating and storage system with Standard Stow ‘n Go Seats. Town & Country’s award-winning powertrain delivers best-in-class horsepower without sacrificing fuel efficiency. The 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine is a two-time “Ward’s 10 Best Engine” winner and produces 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The V-6 is mated to the 62TE six-speed automatic transmission. A fuel economizer mode helps the driver maximize fuel efficiency, and premium, lower-rolling-resistance tires, and low-drag brake calipers and rear bearings make great fuel economy possible. Town & Country achieves 17 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city, 25 on the highway.

The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick and offers over 40 available safety, security and technology features, providing customers the safety they expect to ensure peace of mind when traveling. Standard safety features include ParkView rear back up camera, front seat-mounted air bags, a driver-side inflatable knee blocker, advanced multi-stage driver and front passenger air bags, side-curtain air bags for all three rows, and electronic stability control, including Brake Assist and all-speed traction control. Optional on Touring and standard on Touring L and Limited models is the SafetyTec Group consisting of rain-sensitive windshield wipers, Smartbeam headlamps, ParkSense rear park assist system, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection.

Town & Country’s latest minivan innovation is the new dual-screen Blu-ray DVD rear-seat entertainment system; a system that plays both Blu-ray and standard DVDs, and has High Definition Media Input (HDMI) connectivity and standard higher-resolution second-row and third-row screens.

Jeep® Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee completely redefines the premium SUV, delivering an unprecedented combination of best-in-class fuel economy and driving range, available clean-diesel technology, legendary benchmark capability, world-class craftsmanship, and a host of advanced user-friendly technology and safety features.

For 2014, Grand Cherokee offers a new EcoDiesel engine with best-in-class 30 mpg highway and an unmatched driving range of more than 730 miles. A new eight-speed transmission drives all Grand Cherokee engines, including the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 – achieving up to 25 mpg and more than 600 miles driving range – and the 5.7-liter V-8, now achieving up to 22 mpg.

Legendary Jeep capability comes courtesy of three 4x4 systems, Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension, Selec-Terrain traction management and an improved crawl ratio of 44.1:1.

A refined exterior design – complete with signature LED running lamps – provides a premium appearance. Premium interior amenities include Natura leather, exotic open-pore wood and new color offerings. The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is available in four trim levels, including the new top-line Summit, with pricing starting at $29,790.