2002 Jeep(R) Grand Cherokee Wins Petersen's 4-Wheel

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 8 -- The Chrysler Group today announced that its 2002 Jeep® Grand Cherokee has won one of the most prestigious awards in the popular sport-utility vehicle market segment, 4-Wheel & Off-Road's ``4x4 of the Year'' award.

``The 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee is designed, engineered and built upon the combination of heritage and capability that has made the Jeep brand the most highly regarded name in the sport-utility segment,'' said Tom Marinelli, Vice President, Chrysler/Jeep Division Global Brand Center, DaimlerChrysler Corporation. ``It's spectacular news that the new high-output 4.7-liter Jeep Grand Cherokee won the 4-Wheel and Off-Road magazine's '4x4 of the Year,' marking the sixth time a Grand Cherokee has taken the number one spot.''

The Grand Cherokee, equipped this year with a new high-output 4.7-liter V-8 engine, is the ninth Jeep vehicle overall to win Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off- Road's ``4x4 of the Year'' -- an honor we have held more than any other manufacturer. The new high-output 4.7-liter V-8 engine produces 260 horsepower at 5,100 rpm, and 330 lb.-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, representing a 15 percent increase in horsepower and 12 percent increase in torque over the highly acclaimed 4.7-liter PowerTech V-8 engine.

In addition to the new engine, Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first sport- utility vehicle to offer a tire pressure monitoring system. Also newly available this model year is a premium Overland model, ceiling-mounted curtain-type side air bags, rain-sensitive front wipers and adjustable brake and accelerator pedals.

Initiated in 1983, the 4-Wheel & Off-Road's ``4x4 of the Year'' competition is open to all four-wheel drive vehicles with significant updates and performance differences from the previous year. The vehicles are tested for a full month, both in various on-road conditions and severe off-road use. Vehicles are evaluated and scored on ride & drive, as well as empirical, mechanical, interior and exterior measurements.

``This award is unique because of its single focus on only one 'best of the best' from all categories of product available in the 2002 4x4 marketplace,'' said Rick Pewe, editor of 4-Wheel & Off-Road. ``The intense competition in the light truck category over the past decade has made this award even more profound because of the sheer number of vehicles qualifying for this competition.

``With its on-road performance and handling, and its capabilities in treacherous off-road terrain, the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee is still king of the hill,'' added Pewe.

In its inaugural model year, Jeep Grand Cherokee first won the 1993 4-Wheel & Off-Road's ``4x4 of the Year'' competition, a second time in 1996 after its first substantial redesign, in 1998 with the high-performance Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited, and again with the all-new 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The most recent Jeep winner was the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the new five-speed automatic transmission.

Full details of the award results will be available in Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road's February 2002 issue.