Fiat 500e and SRT Viper honored at Ruedas ESPN Awards

November 8, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  The Spanish-language automotive radio show Ruedas ESPN to name the all-new fully electric 2013 Fiat 500e “Best Electric Vehicle” and the all-new SRT Viper “Best Sport Vehicle” at the 2013 Ruedas ESPN Awards in Miami.
 
The Fiat 500e offers all the amenities and iconic style of the "Cinquecento," while also offering  a zero-emissions design. The SRT (Street and Racing Technology) brand enhances the iconic SRT Viper with all-new interior and exterior designs integrating superior quality and functional details for improved performance.
 
“We’re honored to receive this recognition from Ruedas ESPN,” said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America, Chrysler Group LLC. “The FIAT brand enjoys a strong awareness among the Latino community based on its sense of style, technology and value of money. Now, the all-electric Fiat 500e offers an environmentally sexy vehicle for those consumers who want to be environmentally conscious while driving true Italian style.”
 
"Following the long-awaited return of the SRT Viper to the high-performance sports car market this year, we're proud to be recognized by Ruedas ESPN as the Best Sport Vehicle", said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. 'With our new two-model lineup, the Viper offers new designs inside and out for a perfect blend of extreme performance with new standards of premium materials, new technologies and impeccable craftsmanship."
"Following the long-awaited return of the SRT Viper to the high-performance sports car market this year, we're proud to be recognized by Ruedas ESPN as the Best Sport Vehicle," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. “With our new two-model lineup, the Viper offers new designs inside and out for a perfect blend of extreme performance with new standards of premium materials, new technologies and impeccable craftsmanship."
 
The Ruedas ESPN executive committee selected the winners of the 10 basic categories based on price, design, value, performance, fuel economy and appeal among Hispanic consumers. Fiat 500e had the extra spark to take top honors in the EV segment while the high quality and performance capability of the SRT Viper stood out among all other sport vehicles.
 
“Year after year the Chrysler Group continues to innovate and present an extensive range of appealing models,” said Jaime Florez, Director and Host of Ruedas ESPN. “Whether we’re talking about the stylish and zero-emission Fiat 500e or the powerful performance machine of the SRT Viper, Chrysler Group’s broad lineup offers vehicles that are truly fun to drive.”
 
The Ruedas ESPN Awards ceremony will take place Friday, Nov. 8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center as part of the 43rd edition of the Miami International Auto Show.
 
About Fiat 500e
With its iconic style, world-class dynamics and environmentally responsible zero-emissions design, the all-new 2013 Fiat 500e builds on the Cinquecento legacy, while offering customers a no-compromise electric vehicle (EV) that embodies the FIAT brand's simple, purposeful and fun-to-drive values. The Fiat 500e electrifies the Cinquecento lineup with even more innovation and style, an EPA tested 87 miles driving range and 108 per gallon equivalent (MPGe) highway rating of pure battery-electric power.
 
About SRT Viper
The fifth generation of iconic American-built supercar returned in 2013 as the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) brand’s flagship performance machine with more power and performance, superior craftsmanship, new technologies and creature comforts. Power from the all-aluminum, 8.4-liter mid-front V-10 engine delivering 640 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque – the most torque of any naturally aspirated sports-car engine in the world, combines with triple-digit weight reduction to produce the best power-to-weight ratio of any Viper ever. Standard safety features include electronic multistage stability control, traction control and new 4-channel anti-lock brake system (ABS).
 
Two new models of the iconic supercar are hand-built at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit – the Viper’s home since 1995. Both SRT Viper and SRT Viper GTS models offer new interior and exterior designs incorporating premium materials and new exterior surfaces with aerodynamically functional details that are beautifully integrated into the high-tech carbon fiber and aluminum skin. On the inside, designers and engineers strived to rethink all its touch points and upgrade all its material appointments and technologies. The Viper GTS model adds many premium features including a leather wrapped interior, five mode electronic stability control and a two mode adjustable suspension.