Dodge Sprinter Receives Nifty Fifty Award

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 30 -- Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine, one of the nation's leading commercial vehicle publications, has selected the new Dodge Sprinter Van as a recipient of the 2002 "Nifty Fifty" Award. Chosen from among hundreds of products, the award selections were made by an independent panel of technical editors at the magazine who have won over 35 awards for journalism excellence.

"We're especially pleased that the Dodge Sprinter has been recognized for the quality vehicle it is," said Patrick Dougherty, director of Dodge commercial vehicles. "Only on the market since January, this recognition is particularly gratifying as is further evidence of how quickly Sprinter's unique merits and attributes are being acknowledged in the U.S. commercial market."

According to the magazine, Nifty Fifty awards showcase the editors' picks of the best new product introductions of 2002. A final group of 50 winners were selected from hundreds of new-product articles appearing in the magazine and at www.truckinginfo.com during 2002. Products were judged on their usefulness in terms of innovation, service ability and performance.

The Dodge Sprinter, officially introduced in January at the Detroit Auto Show, is available at select Dodge dealers across the country. Offering both cargo van and passenger versions, it is available in wheelbases of 118 inches, 140 inches and 158 inches, and in two roof heights. Despite its compact dimensions, the Sprinter offers between 247 and 473 cubic feet of payload capacity space, depending on the wheelbase and roof height. The flat floor in the cargo area and the tapered rear wheel housing allow for optimum use.

Known as "The Business Magazine of Trucking," Heavy Duty Trucking is distributed to over 100,000 subscribers monthly and covers truck industry news, regulatory issues, and equipment innovation. It is a key resource of fleet managers who must make decisions about specifying equipment.

Additional information and news about DaimlerChrysler is available on the Internet at www.media.daimlerchrysler.com .