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Take your pick: all SRT models garner praise

Automotive journalists who get into Chrysler Group?s high-performance 2012 SRT8® models come out writing about their exhilarating experiences.

SRT has created a family of muscle cars that is "truly stellar and well-deserving of our exultation," a Sub5zero.com reviewer declared after driving the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8. The Charger SRT8 has American muscle car physicality, Japanese technological finesse, and German refinement in one vehicle, Sub5zero.com said.

An AutoGuide.com scribe, after test driving the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392, proclaimed "this Challenger is by far one of the most fun, high performance cars I?ve driven in the past several years."

Truck Trend asserted that driving the big 2012 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT8 across a lakebed "fulfills every "Mad Max? fantasy you've ever had," and a journalist who took the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 out for a spin felt like he was driving "a fine European luxury sport sedan."

All four new SRT vehicles share a common powerplant ? the new 6.4-liter (392 cubic-inch) HEMI® V-8 engine that features more horsepower and more torque than ever before across a significantly wider rpm range, while intake and exhaust technologies lead to improved fuel efficiency.




    SRT performance brand hits the road

    The high performance SRT brand is hitting the road this summer.

    There's no better way to en-joy a great American road trip than with a "big honking American V-8" under the hood, Motor Trend said. Nobody knows this better than Chrysler Group and its SRT brand as they embark on a three-month road trip in four new SRT vehicles, Motor Trend explained.

    The Detroit Free Press recently spoke with Ralph Gilles, Chrysler Group design chief and head of the newly established SRT brand. Gilles told the pa-per it was the perfect time to expand Chrysler Group's performance vehicles into a separate brand and that the automaker has its "best chance ever to really conquest new customers with SRT."





    Cool off this summer in a hot convertible

     

     

    Some like it hot, and if you do, then a two-door car that turns into a convertible, such as the Chrysler 200, is likely a cool thing, the Las Vegas Review-Journal said.

     

    For 2011, the Chrysler 200 Convertible  has several "significant upgrades" to improve the mid-size model's overall performance and create a more elegant appearance, both inside and out, the story said.

     

    The Washington Post points out that battles in the car market also are heating up as no single automaker dominates in terms of overall quality, reliability, safety or value. The Post says those at-tributes are the basic price of entry.

     

    The "hearts battle," as the Post calls it, is won with "good looks and value" such as giving people more car than they expect.

     

    While test-driving the Chrysler 200 , the Post reviewer said spectators liked the convertible they assumed was a $46,000 - $56,000 car, but they "absolutely fell in love with it at $26,000."

     

    "The Chrysler 200 Touring Convertible drew lustful glances everywhere I drove and parked it," the Washington Post reviewer said.

     

    The Las Vegas newspaper concluded, "The 200 Convertible  is 100 percent about soaking up some relatively affordable summer fun for up to four passengers, heading to the beach or simply cruising in high style."









    Chrysler truck brand to launch 'Guts. Glory. Ram.' tagline,     Automotive News, May 9
    o Chrysler Group's Ram truck brand is launching a tagline as part of a second-year sponsorship of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, Automotive News said. The new tagline - "Guts. Glory. Ram." - pays homage to the history of the Ram brand, the paper said. Actor Sam Elliott will remain the voice of Ram, the article said. The Ram brand has not relied on a tagline since it was part of Dodge and shared "Grab Life by the Horns," the article said.
    2011 Dodge Charger, Consumer Reports
    o While a lot of recently-designed cars have reduced driver visibility, it's now easier to see out of the new Charger, Consumer Reports said on its website. The interior is simply a much more pleasant place to be, the article said. Chrysler's Uconnect controls use a big touch screen with large, clear on-screen "buttons" - coupled with redundant hard keys for common functions, it is a much easier interface to use than cross-town rival Ford's MyFord Touch system, the magazine said. Early impressions are that the transformed Charger is now a thoroughly competitive sedan, the article said.
    The gangster gets rehabilitated, New York Times, May 6
    o The 2011 Chrysler 300 has been restyled and now has a refined, soft-shouldered look, the New York Times said. The goal was to make the car look more upscale, and that target seems to have been achieved, the Times said. The 300's high-class underwear gives it composed, confident road manners, more like a Mercedes than a Chevy, the Times said. The latest 300 is undeniably a nicer car, the Times said.


Turnaround ahead of schedule

Chrysler Groups turnaround plan is ahead of schedule Forbes.com reports following a wide-ranging interview with CEO Sergio Marchionne.

Marchionne told Forbes that 2011 is the year where we've got to prove to ourselves and we've got to prove to others that we are different.



CEO Sergio Marchionne

The Chrysler Group CEO said the company will continue to rejuvenate the product line and maintain speedy product development, which distinguishes Chrysler Group from its competitors.

A Chicago Tribune story notes that the company's turnaround is impressive and that Chrysler Group is showcasing 16 new or refreshed models.

I couldn't have done more from a product standpoint than I did, Marchionne told Forbes regarding the speed at which 16 new products were developed and brought to market.

The Tribune notes that Chrysler Group's sales in-creased 17 percent last year, outpacing the industry, even though it had an aging product line-up.

In an interview with Consumer Guide, Marchionne said the company now has a product lineup to be proud of and that its cars and trucks will be even more competitive in 2011.