FCA US Ranks Highest Overall in Strategic Vision's 20th Annual Total Quality Index™

Six Models Win Segment Awards and Ram Named Best Non-Luxury Brand

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FCA US LLC

Jul 17, 2015, 08:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Dodge Charger and Durango capture class wins for the second and third consecutive year, respectively, while Dodge Challenger ties for first in Specialty Coupe segment
Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited best-in-class Entry SUV for second year in a row
FIAT leads small cars in total quality with segment wins by 500 and 500e
Ram captures title of industry's best non-luxury brand

Strategic Vision President Alexander Edwards sits down with us to discuss results of the 2015 Total Quality Index

FCA US LLC ranks highest among all automakers in Strategic Vision's 20th annual Total Quality Index™ (TQI).

Six 2015 FCA US vehicles won their respective segments for total quality:

Dodge Challenger – tied for first in Specialty Coupe segment
Dodge Charger – Full-Size Car
Dodge Durango – Mid-Size SUV
Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited – Entry SUV
Fiat 500 – Small Multi-Function Car
Fiat 500e – Small Alternate Powertrain Car

Dodge Durango won its segment for the third consecutive year while Dodge Charger and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited both lead their segments for the second year in a row.

TQI is based on responses from more than 46,000 owners of new 2015 model year vehicles. The quality study includes more than 155 specific aspects of the customer experience to form a unique and complete measure of the total ownership experience.

"This is the first time FCA has ranked highest in the 20-year history of the Total Quality Index and were honored to receive this award," said Matt Liddane, Vice President – Quality, FCA-North America. "Our unwavering commitment to the highest level of quality as a company is being recognized on a national level while our world-class vehicle lineup continues to attract new customers as well as those who have been purchasing our products for years."

According to San Diego-based research firm Strategic Vision, the TQI score is a holistic measure that encompasses positive and negative product experiences. This includes reliability, actual problems, driving excitement and other measures that collectively are energized by the emotional response associated with the aggregate of all those experiences – hence Total Quality.

"FCA has incrementally risen from one segment leader in 2010 to six segment leaders in 2015," said Christopher Chaney, Senior Vice President – Strategic Vision. "Though at Strategic Vision we often preach about looking forward, it's hard to not be in admiration of the turnaround achieved by FCA company employees."

Learn more about the results of Strategic Visions' 2015 Total Quality Index™ at https://youtu.be/Ok_DR9gP8Fo.

About the 2015 Dodge Challenger
The Dodge and SRT brands now offer the most complete lineup of muscle cars in the market, including the new 2015 Dodge Challenger SXT with its standard powerful and fuel-efficient Pentastar V-6 engine combined with the TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission that delivers 300 horsepower and an estimated 30 miles per gallon; the 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T with the high-torque 5.7-liter HEMI^® now paired with the TorqueFlite eight-speed or six-speed manual transmission; and the all-new 6.4-liter HEMI Challenger Scat Pack that delivers 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque with the TorqueFlite eight-speed or six-speed manual. The new Dodge Challenger SRT 392 adds an exclusive wheel design, adaptive damping suspension and SRT Drive Modes to the same 6.4-liter naturally-aspirated HEMI powerplant while the Challenger SRT Hellcat with its 707 horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 engine is most powerful and fastest muscle car ever.

About the 2015 Dodge Charger
As the most successful four-door fastback-styled muscle car on the market, the new, more aggressively restyled 2015 Dodge Charger remains in a class of its own, delivering even more performance, technology and refinement thanks to its TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission now standard on every model – from the SE to the SXT, R/T, R/T Road & Track, R/T Scat Pack, SRT 392 and the SRT Hellcat. The 2015 Charger also offers a full range of fuel-efficient and powerful engine options, including the award-winning 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine, which delivers up to 31 miles per gallon (mpg) on SE and SXT models; the legendary 370-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 on the R/T; the 6.4-liter HEMI V-8, which punches out a best-in-class, naturally aspirated 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque in the SRT 392 and R/T Scat Pack models and the new 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI Hellcat V-8 engine. The Charger SRT Hellcat delivers ultimate performance with 707 horsepower, 650 lb.-ft. of torque, a top speed of 204 miles per hour, and a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-certified, quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.0 seconds on street tires, making it the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan in the world.

About the 2015 Dodge Durango
With a standard eight-speed automatic transmission, improved fuel economy and performance, LED exterior lighting, two interior touchscreens, a programmable instrument cluster and an available high-definition dual-screen Blu-ray entertainment system, the Dodge Durango reaches even higher levels of sophistication building on its proven performance, utility and comfort. Named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for three years, Durango's standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine paired with the standard eight-speed transmission generates an impressive 290 horsepower (295 horsepower on Rallye, Citadel and select Blacktop models) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, and can tow up to a best-in-class 6,200 pounds. The V-6 powered Durango also features a best-in-class driving range of over 600 miles on a tank and up to 25 miles per gallon. The available 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine produces a best-in-class 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque with a best-in-class tow rating of 7,400 pounds. The 5.7-liter engine's Fuel Saver Technology with cylinder-deactivation allows the HEMI V-8 engine to achieve up to 23 miles per gallon.

About the 2015 Jeep Wrangler
For 2015, the iconic Jeep Wrangler – the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world – offers consumers a standard eight-speaker audio system and an improved sound bar, and an optional Premium Alpine Audio Package that includes nine Alpine speakers, a new subwoofer and a 552-watt amplifier.

The Jeep Wrangler delivers unmatched off-road capability with legendary four-wheel drive and is produced with more than seven decades of 4x4 engineering experience. Wrangler continues to offer a body-on-frame design, front and rear five-link suspension system, live axles, electronic lockers, and is one of the few mid-size SUVs that offers a six-speed manual transmission – in addition to its five-speed automatic transmission.

About Ram Truck Brand
Since its launch as a stand-alone division in 2009, the Ram Truck Brand has steadily emerged as an industry leader with one goal: to build the best pickup trucks and commercial vehicles in the industry.

Creating a distinct identity for Ram Trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on core customers and features they find valuable. Whether focusing on a family that uses a Ram 1500 day in and day out, a hard-working Ram 3500 Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its Ram ProMaster commercial van every day for deliveries, Ram has the truck market covered.

In order to be the best, it takes a commitment to innovation, capability, efficiency and durability. Ram Truck invests substantially in its products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and exclusive features that further enhance their capabilities.

Moving into the 2016 model year, Ram continues to beat the competition in the most sought-after titles, fuel economy, payload and towing capacity:

Best-in-class fuel economy with exclusive EcoDiesel – 29 mpg with Ram 1500
Best-in-class towing capability – 30,000 pounds with Ram 3500
Best-in-class payload – 7,390 pounds with Ram 3500
Best-in-class torque – 900 lb.-ft. with Ram 3500 equipped with Cummins

Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

About the 2015 Fiat 500
Reminiscent of the original Cinquecento, the 2015 Fiat 500 builds on the vehicle's global popularity. Since its initial launch in 2007, more than 1 million Fiat 500 vehicles have been sold in more than 110 countries around the world. The model's unquestionable popularity is the result of the Fiat 500's great ability to deliver unmatched personalization options with advanced solutions in terms of quality, engine performance and passenger comfort. In addition to success on the sales front, the Fiat 500 has earned more than 80 international awards.

About the 2015 Fiat 500e
With its iconic style, world-class dynamics and environmentally responsible zero-emissions design, the Fiat 500e builds on the Cinquecento legacy, while offering customers a no-compromise electric vehicle that embodies the FIAT brand's simple, purposeful and fun-to-drive values. The Fiat 500e electrifies the Cinquecento lineup with even more innovation and style, an EPA tested 87 miles of driving range and 108 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) highway rating of pure battery-electric power. The Fiat 500e is available at FIAT studios in California and Oregon.

About Strategic Vision
Strategic Vision is a research-based consultancy with over thirty-five years of experience in understanding the consumers' and constituents' decision-making systems for a variety of Fortune 100 clients, including most automotive manufacturers. Its unique expertise is in identifying consumers' comprehensive, motivational hierarchies, including the product attributes, personal benefits, value/emotions and images that drive perceptions and behaviors, using ValueCentered® psychology. Strategic Vision also uses comprehensive algorithms and discriminating scales that measure customer love and go beyond typical outdated and ineffective satisfaction scales. ValueCentered® psychology and research methods were defined by Darrel Edwards, Ph.D. in 1968, and enhanced by co-founders J. Susan Johnson (1972) and Sharon Shedroff (1975). For further information, contact Alexander Edwards or Christopher Chaney at (858) 576-7141.

About FCA US LLC
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."

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