Clean Sweep: 2019 Ram 1500 Crowned "Truck of Texas," 2019 Maserati Levante GTS Named "SUV of Texas," 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Named "CUV of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association

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Oct 17, 2018, 16:50 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

FCA brands take highest honors at Texas Truck Rodeo
All-new 2019 Ram 1500 wins top award as Truck of Texas, plus Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas, Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas, Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas, Best Powertrain (eTorque Mild Hybrid System) and Best New Technology (12-inch Uconnect Screen)
2019 Maserati Levante GTS wins SUV of Texas and Full-Size Luxury SUV
2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio wins CUV of Texas and Luxury CUV
All-new 2018 Jeep® Wrangler wins Off-Road SUV of Texas and Mid-Size SUV of Texas
Ram Power Wagon wins Heavy Duty Pickup Truck of Texas
Jeep Grand Cherokee wins Mid-Size Luxury SUV category, scoring a win for the seventh consecutive year
Dodge Durango SRT wins Full-size SUV category for the second consecutive year
FCA US vehicles take home the most awards, 15 of 24, of any manufacturer at the annual competition

The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 earned top honors as the Truck of Texas at the annual Texas Truck Rodeo, hosted by the Texas Automotive Writers Association (TAWA), along with a clean sweep of the top awards with the 2019 Maserati Levante GTS named SUV of Texas and the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio named CUV of Texas. The Dodge Durango SRT and Jeep® vehicles also collected several awards. Collectively, FCA brands secured the most awards, 15 of 24, of any manufacturer at the event.

This year's Rodeo was especially challenging with muddy conditions and wet roads – an environment where the lineup of FCA vehicles particularly excelled.

"The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 stole the hearts of our members this year, and has earned our highest honor as the 2019 Truck of Texas. It's not only capable, but it is comfortable, and the attention to detail is unlike anything in the truck market. It's a home run for the Ram brand that scored the Truck of Texas trophy," said Michael Marrs, President of TAWA.

A total of 57 pickups, SUVs, crossovers and commercial vehicles were entered in the competition and 69 TAWA members attended the event. Members cast their votes after two days of on- and off-road vehicle evaluations. Consideration is given to everything from exterior/interior styling and off-road capability to the entrant's overall utility, value and performance.

Ram, Jeep, Dodge, Alfa Romeo and Maserati vehicles with top honors:

Ram Brand
Truck of Texas: 2019 Ram 1500
Full-size Pickup Truck: 2019 Ram 1500
Heavy Duty Pickup Truck: 2018 Ram Power Wagon
Luxury Pickup Truck: 2019 Ram 1500 Longhorn
Off-Road Pickup Truck: 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel
Best Powertrain: 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque Mild Hybrid System
Best New Technology: 2019 Ram 1500 12-inch Uconnect Touchscreen

Jeep Brand
Mid-Size Luxury SUV: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
Mid-Size SUV: 2018 Jeep Wrangler
Off-Road SUV: 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Dodge Brand
Full-Size SUV: 2019 Dodge Durango SRT

Alfa Romeo
CUV of Texas: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Luxury CUV: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Maserati
SUV of Texas: 2019 Maserati Levante GTS
Full-Size Luxury SUV: 2019 Maserati Levante GTS

About TAWA
The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. was founded in 1985 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue of professional growth, development and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1992, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, and now Dripping Springs. In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, is also held annually. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

About FCA US LLC
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It designs, manufactures, and sells or distributes vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as the SRT performance designation. The Company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler Corp., established in 1925 by industry visionary Walter P. Chrysler and Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (F.I.A.T.), founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli. FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA).

FCA is an international automotive group 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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