McGrath Auto» grand cherokee

Chevy Volt Up For North American Car of the Year

mcgrathauto — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 19:17:05 +0000

Finalists for Car of the Year Announced

The Chevrolet Volt was named a finalist for 2011 North American Car of the Year, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango were named Truck of the Year finalists.

The awards are judged by 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada — representing magazines, newspapers, web sites, television and radio. The criteria used to judge the winners include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. The finalists were unveiled today at a meeting of the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. Other Finalist include the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Sonata for cars and Ford Explorer for Trucks.

The Volt is an electric car with an internal combustion engine that generates electricity after the battery is depleted, and the Leaf is an all-electric car. Both models went on sale this month. The Sonata is also available with a hybrid powertrain. The Grand Cherokee and Durango are SUVs, while the new Explorer is a crossover based on a car platform.

The winners will be announced Jan. 10, 2011, the opening day for media previews at the Detroit Auto Show.

The Chevy Cruze was also a 2011 semi-finalist.

2010 McGrath Jeepfest Event Photos

mcgrathauto — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:36:05 +0000

New Jeep Almost Here

mcgrathauto — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:54:01 +0000

For long-awaiting Chrysler Group dealers starved for some gee-whiz new product, the wait is almost over.

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which dealers can start ordering this month, will arrive on a new platform this summer and will be the first vehicle to offer Chrysler’s new Pentastar V-6 engine.

Jeep CEO Michael Manley, speaking here at the auto show, said upper trim lines will come with an adaptive suspension that allows the driver to adjust the ride height — high for superior off-roading and low for better on-road performance.

The platform will reduce noise, vibration and harshness, he said.

Dealers say company officials have told them they can start ordering the vehicle this month. Chrysler officials have not announced when or how they will unveil the new vehicle, which plays an important role in the company’s recovery. The Grand Cherokee is the first redesigned vehicle to come out since Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy last June. The Grand Cherokee is the second-biggest seller in the Jeep lineup, accounting for 22 percent of the brand’s volume last year.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100405/OEM01/304059968/1424#ixzz0kNYZGJpD