Fuel economy improved on nearly 75% of all models

Posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 2:09 PM EDT.

As 2009 model year vehicles arrive in local Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® showrooms this fall, customers will be pleased to find that fuel economy has increased on 19 of Chrysler LLC’s car, truck and SUV models, representing 73 percent of the entire product lineup.

American consumers could see savings of as much as 6.7 million gallons of fuel per year with the 2009 fuel economy improvements.

“Chrysler is committed to improving fuel economy for our customers, and we consistently look at viable technologies to help us achieve that goal,” Bob Lee, Vice-President—Powertrain Product Team, said. “With offerings such as our Multi-displacement System (MDS), active transfer case and front-axle disconnect, we are able to deliver consumers fuel economy improvements in a majority of our 2009 models.”

In total, six Chrysler brand models (Town & Country, Sebring, Sebring Convertible, 300, 300 SRT8® and Aspen), nine Dodge brand models (Caliber, Avenger, Grand Caravan, Challenger SRT8®, Charger, Charger SRT8, Durango, Nitro and Dodge Ram 1500) and four Jeep models (Patriot, Compass, Grand Cherokee and Commander) have better fuel economy than their 2008 predecessors.

Vehicles with best-in-class fuel economy

Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles hold numerous best-in-class fuel economy claims for the 2009 model year. The 2009 Journey offers the best fuel economy in its class with 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The 2009 Compass 4×4 and Patriot 4×4 have the best EPA estimated highway fuel economy and are the most fuel efficient four-wheel-drive vehicles in their class. The new 2009 Aspen and Durango hybrids deliver best-in-class fuel economy of up to 22 mpg, which is an improvement of more than 53 percent in the city and 40 percent overall. The 2009 Town & Country and Grand Caravan offer better highway fuel economy than the leading full-size crossover vehicle and hold an unsurpassed fuel economy for a minivan with 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

Engineering innovations made a difference

For the 2009 model year a more fuel efficient and more powerful version of the renowned 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine has been introduced on various models.

The all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine delivers as much as a 5 percent improvement in fuel economy—along with more horsepower and torque—courtesy of variable valve timing, expanded four-cylinder mode in the MDS and a host of other technologies. The all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine is available on the 2009 Aspen, 300, Challenger, Charger, Commander, Durango, Grand Cherokee, Ram 1500 and Ram 2500.

New technologies on the 300 and Charger include active transfer case and front axle disconnect. Chrysler is the only manufacturer to pair these two technologies on the same vehicle. Chrysler’s system seamlessly transitions between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with no driver intervention by disconnecting the front wheels from the drivetrain to reduce friction and rotational inertia. The system provides optimal traction, performance and safety, as well as a fuel economy improvement of 1mpg (combined city/highway).

This entry was posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 2:09 PM EDT and is filed under Company. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments are currently closed.