HEMI®: Winning Hearts and Winning Awards Year After Year

Auburn Hills, Mich. - December 12, 2005
The 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 once again earned its place in Ward?s 10 Best Engines. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the HEMI has taken this honor ? every year since the reintroduction of the engine in 2003.

"HEMI remains the coolest four-letter word in the auto industry," said Bill Visnic, Senior Technical Editor, Wards AutoWorld. "The bigger-than-life HEMI V-8 once again impressed the Ward's 10 Best Engines judges, just as it continues to resonate with customers by racking up impressive installation rates."

"We are honored to have the HEMI engine continue to be recognized as a modern, efficient engine that gives customers the power that they want," said Bob Lee, Vice President Powertrain, Chrysler Group. "We were the first to offer Multi-Displacement System in a modern, large-volume vehicle which will save more than 60-million gallons of fuel each year."

First introduced in the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500, the Chrysler Group HEMI V-8 engine is elegantly simple. It achieves power, fuel economy and emissions goals with a design that is uncomplicated and cost effective. The versatile 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine is now available in the Chrysler 300, Jeep® Commander, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Charger, Dodge Durango, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Ram.

An even higher performance version of the HEMI engine also powers the Chrysler 300C SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8, Dodge Magnum SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. At the heart of these SRT8 models is a 6.1-liter HEMI engine, which generates more horsepower with more cubic inches, higher compression ratio, faster engine speed and better engine breathing through special cylinder heads and manifolds. The 6.1-liter HEMI engine features strengthened components, including a reinforced engine block, forged steel crankshaft and high-strength connecting rods.

Chrysler Group's innovative Multi-Displacement System (MDS) is standard equipment with all 5.7-liter HEMI engines in the 2006 Chrysler 300, Jeep Commander, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Charger, Dodge Durango, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Ram 1500. Improving fuel economy by as much as 20 percent, MDS seamlessly alternates between smooth, high fuel economy four-cylinder mode when less power is needed, and V-8 mode when more power from the 5.7-liter HEMI engine is in demand.

Chrysler Group was the first to offer modern, large-volume vehicles in North America with cylinder deactivation ? the HEMI-powered 2005 Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum R/T went on sale in the spring of 2004. Chrysler Group was also the first to offer cylinder deactivation in an SUV with the introduction of the 2005 HEMI-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee. Chrysler Group is now the first to offer MDS in a pickup truck ? the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500. MDS is a fuel-saving technology that is here today ? customers get the power and capability of the HEMI V-8 that they desire with the fuel economy of a less powerful engine.

Current vehicle-specific take-rates for the HEMI V-8 engine at Chrysler Group are:

Vehicle HEMI Take-Rate
Chrysler 300 41 percent
Dodge Charger 65 percent
Dodge Durango 50 percent
Dodge Ram 1500 49 percent
Dodge Magnum 45 percent
Jeep Commander 27 percent
Jeep Grand Cherokee 19 percent

The HEMI engine is manufactured in Saltillo, Mexico.