The Car Connection Editors and Readers Name Three FCA US Vehicles as "Best" of 2017

News provided by

Nov 14, 2016, 09:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

All-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica earns "Best Car to Buy" and "Best Family Vehicle t Buy" awards from editors at The Car Connection
Editors honor the 2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee as "Best SUV to Buy"
The Car Connection readers choose the Chrysler Pacifica as the "Best New Family Car"
The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider takes home the award for "Best-Looking New Car" from readers of The Car Connection

The results are in for The Car Connection "Best" of the 2017 model year and three FCA US vehicles are driving away with accolades from editors and readers.

Experts at The Car Connection named the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and the Jeep Grand Cherokee® as "Best to Buy Vehicles" for 2017. The Chrysler Pacifica earns a spot in two categories. "Best Car to Buy" and "Best Family Vehicle to Buy," while the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee is honored as "Best SUV to Buy."

"The Chrysler Pacifica isn't just the most thorough reworking of the Chrysler minivan in a generation. It's an exceptional vehicle, period," said Marty Padgett, editorial director of Internet Brands Automotive, parent company of The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports. "The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the few vehicles that can hit the road as well as it hits the trails. It's a perennial leader in the SUV segment, and a long-running favorite of our editors."

The Car Connection's expert editors chose the Chrysler Pacifica and the Jeep Grand Cherokee from a competitive field of nominees. Those nominees are new or fully redesigned models that achieved top scores in the site's unique "TCC Rating." The 10-point TCC Rating rolls up scores given to each vehicle across categories including safety, comfort and utility, fuel economy, performance and styling. Editors apply a price cap in all categories, except Luxury, of $50,000.

In addition to the experts determining "Best to Buy" vehicles for 2017, editors at The Car Connection gave their readers the chance to vote for their "Drivers Choice" best new cars of the year and the results include honors for two FCA vehicles: the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica for the "Best New Family" Car and the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider as the "Best-Looking New Car."

"Our readers have voted -- and FCA US vehicles made the strongest showing of any brands," said Padgett. "From the Fiat 124's win as 'Best-Looking New Car,' or the Chrysler Pacifica's win as 'Best New Family Car,' it's clear that readers, drivers and shoppers are keen to get behind the wheel."

Chrysler Pacifica
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica reinvents the minivan segment with an unprecedented level of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling. Re-engineered from the ground up on an all-new platform, the Pacifica delivers class-leading gasoline and hybrid powertrains to the minivan segment. With more than 100 available safety and security features, the all-new Uconnect Theater rear seat entertainment system, and a full array of comfort and convenience technologies, the Chrysler Pacifica is a no-compromises minivan ideally suited for today's families and has earned its spot as the most awarded minivan of the year.

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most awarded SUV ever and the vehicle that has long defined what a premium SUV should be. The Grand Cherokee Summit models receive added features, as well as a Summit California Edition appearance package that further enhances Summit's premium exterior aesthetics. Legendary Jeep capability comes courtesy of three available 4x4 systems, Jeep's Quadra-Lift air suspension system and class-leading Selec-Terrain traction management system. Grand Cherokee boasts best-in-class towing of 7,400 pounds and a crawl ratio of 44.1:1. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is available in six trim levels: Laredo, Limited, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit and SRT.

Fiat 124 Spider
The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider revives the storied nameplate, bringing its classic Italian styling and performance to a new generation. Paying homage to the original 124 Spider 50 years after its introduction, the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider delivers the ultimate Italian roadster experience with driving excitement, technology and safety combined with iconic Italian design.

About The Car Connection
The Car Connection is the easiest place to research and shop for cars online. The site makes car research easy with its unique "TCC Rating," a clear numeric rating value based on a 10-point scale that reflects the overall opinion of our automotive experts on any vehicle.

The Car Connection is part of the Internet Brands Automotive Group (www.internetbrandsauto.com), one of the largest collections of automotive properties on the Internet including pioneering car-buying website CarsDirect.com and a collection of more than 130 auto enthusiast websites. Collectively, the Internet Brands Automotive Group reaches more than 35 million unique visitors each month.

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."

Follow FCA US news and video on:
FCA Content On Demand (COD): www.fcacod.com
Company blog: blog.fcanorthamerica.com
Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com
FCA360: 360.fcanorthamerica.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/chryslergroup/
Media website: media.fcanorthamerica.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/fcacorporate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA
Twitter (Spanish): www.twitter.com/fcausespanol
YouTube: www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo