Magazines Announce 2001 Truck of the Year Awards -

       Jeep's Grand Cherokee Wins 4-Wheel & Off-Road's 4x4 of the Year

       
    LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 emap usa's TRUCK GROUP has named the
winners of its coveted 2001 Truck of the Year Awards in the 4x4, Four-Wheeler,
Pickup Truck and Sport Truck categories, it was announced by Jim Ryan, Truck
Group Director, emap usa Automotive.

    "Consumers eagerly anticipate the awards because the editorial staffs of
these magazines are true experts," said Ryan.  "We are the only source for
off-road and street performance testing of this kind.  An award from one of
our magazines goes a long way with consumers and is a significant mark of
distinction for manufacturers."

    The winner of the 4x4 of the Year award, given by emap usa's 4-Wheel &
Off-Road magazine for the past 18 years, is the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Jeep has taken home the award eight times -- more than any other manufacturer.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee swept almost every category of this year's grueling,
1,000-mile test that covers a variety of on-and off-road terrain.  The
performance of the vehicle's suspension, engine, transmission, and transfer
case made the Grand Cherokee the hands-down winner in this test.

    "This award is unique because it pits all eligible four-wheel-drive
vehicles against one another," said Rick Pewe, editor of 4-Wheel & Off-Road.
"We do not separate trucks from SUVs, or fullsize vehicles from compacts.  We
compare all eligible vehicles and name one winner which we feel is the best
4x4 for that model year."  A vehicle from nearly every category has won this
award in the past 19 years.

    Competitors in the 4x4 category included a Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
diesel, Ford F-150 Super Crew, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, GMC 2500HD 8.IL, Jeep
Grand Cherokee, Mitsubishi Montero, and Nissan Frontier Supercharged Crew Cab.
    4-Wheel & Off-Road is the world's largest off-road enthusiast publication.
Complete test results and vehicle evaluations for the 2001 4x4 of the Year
competition are available in the February 2001 issue now on newsstands.
Information on the test is also available on the 4-Wheel & Off-Road Web site.

           Nissan Pathfinder Earns Four-Wheeler of the Year Kudos;
              Toyota Tacoma Chosen as the Pickup Truck of Choice

    The Four-Wheeler of the Year, chosen by Four Wheeler magazine was awarded
to the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder.  The Pathfinder out-performed the competition
with a new 3.5-liter V6 engine, which provides plenty of smooth power and
great torque.  The absence of computer controls in the vehicle's stability
package -- part of Nissan's back-to-basics design -- offers solid stability
without the complications of additional computer hardware.

    Competitors in the Four-Wheeler of the Year category included a Chevrolet
Tracker, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Pathfinder and Mitsubishi Montero.
    Four Wheeler's Pickup Truck of the Year is the 2001 Toyota Tacoma Double
Cab TRD.  Considered this year's best off-road pickup truck, the Tacoma
performed admirably in all testing categories.  The TRD package and the
locking rear differential allowed it to go places the other trucks wouldn't,
and it garnered the most points in the all-important trail performance
category.

    Competitors in the Pickup Truck category included a GMC Sierra 2500 HD8.1
Vortec, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Duramax Turbodiesel, Chevy S-10 Crew Cab,
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, and Nissan Frontier Supercharged Crew Cab.
    Four Wheeler, published monthly, fully explores the high-adventure, global
nature of off-roading.  Its pages contain regular vehicle tests and
evaluations, adventure and travel destinations, technical articles, outdoor
equipment guides, aftermarket product testing and how-to installation
articles.

                GMC Sierra C3 Selected Sport Truck of the Year

    Beating the competition in the Sport Truck of the Year category awarded by
Sport Truck magazine is the 2001 GMC Sierra C3.  With a new all-wheel drive
system, the C3 delivered the best drive train performance among the
competitors.  The new 6-liter engine provides increased power and fuel
economy, and the redesigned interior is quite luxurious.

    Competitors in the Sport Truck of the Year category included a Ford
Sporttac, Ford F-150 Super Crew, Toyota S-Runner, Nissan Frontier, GMC Sierra
C3 and Mazda B4000.

    Sport Truck, published monthly, is the largest and most comprehensive
magazine available to the street truck enthusiast.  It is directed to light-
truck and SUV owners with an avid interest in the on-pavement performance and
appearance of their vehicles.
    To be eligible to compete in the 2001 Truck of the Year Awards a vehicle
must have improvements that will make it perform significantly different than
the previous model year.  Vehicles must also be available for sale before
January 15 of the model year, have a production run of at least 2,500 units,
and must have a two-speed transfer case.