Chrysler Group Drives Away with Eight of 18 Awards at the Texas Auto Writers Auto Roundup

AUBURN HILLS, MI--May 4, 2012:

• Vehicles from Chrysler, Dodge, FIAT, and SRT brands win awards from the Texas Auto Writers Association
• Improved quality, craftsmanship, powertrains and ride and handling help Chrysler Group vehicles pull ahead of the pack in head to head competition

Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, and SRT brand vehicles won significant accolades this year at the Texas Auto Roundup hosted by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA). After a day of demanding driving at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, journalists voted on their favorites and the Chrysler Group secured eight of the possible 18 awards - the most of any participating manufacturer at the event.

"We're truly honored to receive such a significant number of awards from TAWA. It's a testament to our hard work and our desire to gain market share in every class of vehicle," said Reid Bigland, President and CEO -- Dodge Brand and Head of U.S. Sales. "Our current vehicle line-up has never been better and we're pleased that TAWA gave our brands their vote of confidence."

"With 58 vehicle entries competing in 18 different categories, our members were clearly impressed with the Chrysler Group vehicle line-up," said Michael Herzing, President -- TAWA, co-host of Yahoo! Sports Radio's In Wheel Time radio show. "These accolades speak loudly about the design, capability and versatility of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and SRT products."

Chrysler Group vehicles receiving awards from the TAWA Auto Roundup are:

Chrysler Brand

Family Car of Texas --2012 Chrysler Town & Country
Full-Size Luxury Car of Texas -- 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series
Minivan of Texas -- 2012 Chrysler Town & Country

Dodge Brand

Compact Car of Texas -- 2013 Dodge Dart
Best New Feature -- 2013 Dodge Dart's Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display
Best Value -- 2013 Dodge Dart

Fiat Brand

Sub Compact Car of Texas -- Fiat 500c

SRT Brand

Performance SUV of Texas -- 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

TAWA member gather every spring to evaluate all that's new in passenger cars, minivans and performance SUVs. The event gives Texas journalists the opportunity to drive nearly every new car on the market. This year marked the first time TAWA offered individual categories for each class of vehicle -- 18 categories in all, ranging from sub-compact vehicles to super cars (over 450 hp). At total of 49 journalists attended and drove 58 cars from various manufacturers at the event.