New Dodge Durango Named Top Safety Pick by IIHS

Dodge Durango has been named a “Top Safety Pick” for 2011 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS recognizes vehicles that perform “good” in front, side, rollover and rear crash test evaluations performed at its Vehicle Research Center in Virginia. This award applies to Durango models built after May 2011.

Additionally, to be considered, vehicles also must have available
electronic stability control systems, which, research has shown,
significantly reduce crash risks.

The all-new 2011 Dodge Durango
offers consumers 45 safety and security features, including standard
Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which delivers three security
features to improve overall vehicle stability both on- and off-road:
electronic roll mitigation (ERM), which reacts and applies brakes during
extreme situations, and Hill-start Assist (HSA), which works with
standard Trailer-sway Control (TSC) to enhance off-road and towing
capabilities.

Other safety and security features available on the 2011 Dodge Durango
include Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and Rear Cross Path (RCP) detection,
which aid drivers when they’re changing lanes or parking. In addition,
Durango features standard seat-mounted and side-curtain air bags in the
front row. The curtain air bag extends protection to second- and
third-row passengers. Durango also includes standard front-row active
head restraints. Additionally, drivers can remotely lower third row
headrests to enhance rear visibility when the seats are not occupied.

“The Durango is the eighth vehicle from Chrysler to earn the Institute’s highest safety honor,” said IIHS
president Adrian Lund. “The performance of the Durango means buyers are
getting the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes, and
electronic stability control for avoiding many crashes altogether.”

The new Durango joins seven other vehicles from Chrysler Group LLC that
are Top Safety Picks for 2011. Earlier this year, the 2011 Jeep Grand
Cherokee, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger were named “Top Safety Pick” by
the IIHS. In selecting the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the IIHS noted the
addition of torso airbags to bolster side crash protection to the
vehicle’s already comprehensive list of safety features. Chrysler 200
sedan, Dodge Avenger and Journey return to the list of IIHS “Top Safety
Pick” for the third straight year. Jeep Patriot is also “Top Safety
Pick” when equipped with available seat mounted side airbags.

All eight Chrysler Group LLC vehicles feature electronic stability control as standard equipment for 2011.

“With the latest addition of Dodge Durango, coupled with the new Jeep
Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, Chrysler Group has
eight Top Safety Picks for 2011. This recognition by the IIHS
underscores our commitment to engineering safety and security technology
across all vehicle segments,” said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice
President- Engineering, Chrysler Group LLC. “As we continue with our
product transformation, we’ll continue to engineer new technology and
more capabilities into all our vehicles.”

All eight Chrysler selections employ a two-fold approach to safety
including active head restraints for front seat occupants, standard
antilock brake systems with four wheel disc brakes, and supplemental
side airbags.

About Dodge Durango

With its four-wheel independent suspension and responsive steering and
handling, Durango puts the “Sport” in Sport Utility. No other SUV on the
road compares with the all-new Dodge Durango’s distinctive bold Dodge
design that craftily houses a spacious three-row, seven-passenger
functional, flexible and premium interior, covered in soft-touch
materials. Durango features more than 30 storage areas, 28 seating
configurations and a rear cargo area of nearly 85 cubic feet that fits a
6-foot couch with room for coffee table or a 10-foot ladder with the
front passenger seat folded flat.

Durango also delivers the perfect blend of power and fuel efficiency.
Its award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers best-in-class
290 horsepower along with a best-in-class driving range of 500 miles on
one tank of fuel – that means Durango owners could drive all the way
from Chicago to Nashville; San Diego to San Francisco; or New York City
to Boston and back again without needing to stop for fuel. The available
HEMI V-8 engine with Fuel Saver multi-displacement technology delivers a
best-in-class 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines
deliver best-in-class V-6 and V-8 towing with standard trailer sway
control on all models (V-8 up to 7,400 lbs. and V-6 – up to 6,200 lbs.).
Durango also features more than 45 safety and security features.