Chrysler Pacifica And Ram 1500 Named Best Minivan And Best Pickup Truck By Automobile Journalists Association Of Canada

January 18, 2018 by FCA Canada Inc.

•Awards come via a year's worth of voting and real-world testing by expert national automotive critics evaluating all vehicles available to Canadian buyers

•Best Minivan recognition adds to a list of accolades that have made Chrysler Pacifica the most awarded minivan of the past two years

•A back-to-back win for the built-in-Canada Chrysler Pacifica, with the segment-exclusive Pacifica Hybrid competing for the first time

•2018 Ram 1500 is named Best Pickup Truck on the heels of the debut of the all-new 2019 Ram 1500

•Ram 1500 was the second best-selling vehicle in Canada in 2017

•Both Pacifica and Ram 1500 are now finalists for Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year

January 18, 2018 , Montreal - FCA Canada announced today that the Canadian-made 2018 Chrysler Pacifica has been named Best Minivan and the 2018 Ram 1500 has been named Best Pickup Truck by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) in its annual Canadian Car and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year awards program.

AJAC is a long-running and respected national association of automotive journalists who test drive and report on new vehicles in various media outlets across the country. The annual Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards program is an integral part of the association, providing consumers with expert advice and data to inform their vehicle buying decision.

This year, AJAC's annual Canadian Car and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year voting process was notably different. For the first time, voting was expanded to include all vehicles available to Canadian buyers, not just the vehicles that are new to the market. AJAC's voting journalists were able to score vehicles against all their competition, whether they were all-new for 2018 or returning popular models. Almost 3,000 ballots were cast on 182 vehicles, including at Test Fest, a multi-day October event attended by more than 60 journalists from across the country.

'Having both Chrysler Pacifica and Ram 1500 recognized as the best in their segments by the expert members of AJAC is an incredible honour,' said Reid Bigland, President and CEO, FCA Canada. 'The Pacifica is the most awarded minivan of the past two years, and this uniquely Canadian accolade, measured against all of its segment rivals, further proves that Pacifica delivers class-above quality, safety and functionality for families.

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Even faced with renewed competitors, Ram 1500's Best Pickup Truck title proves the depth of engineering prowess and competence offered by this proven line of trucks and the strength of the Ram brand overall. This win is especially sweet, given that we've just made the 'Best Pickup Truck' of 2018, even better for 2019 with the recent introduction of an all-new Ram 1500.'

Chrysler Pacifica overcame eight rivals to earn the Best Minivan crown. This is the second year in a row the Windsor, Ontario-made vehicle has won its AJAC category after being named Best New Large Utility in 2017. This was the first year the segment-exclusive Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was eligible to compete. The industry's first electrified minivan delivers 2.6 Le/100km (109MPGe) and a range of 53 km (33 miles) solely on zero-emissions electric power from a 16-kWh lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, as well as a 911-km total gas and electric range.

The Ram 1500 defeated six rivals for its Best Pickup title. The second best-selling vehicle in Canada in 2017, the current Ram 1500 is a seasoned competitor, boasting numerous segment-exclusive features, including a unique multilink coil spring rear suspension system with optional air suspension and RamBox bedside storage. Available in a long list of unique trim levels, the Ram 1500 has a full-size pickup for everyone.

Ram brand furthered its leadership earlier this week, too, with the debut of the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Both it and the current version of the Ram 1500 will be sold side-by-side in 2018.

The winner of each of AJAC's 14 categories, including Chrysler Pacifica and Ram 1500, are now eligible to be named 2018 Canadian Car of the Year or 2018 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, with those overall titles announced at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, February 15.

About FCA Canada

Founded as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, FCA Canada Inc. is based in Windsor, Ontario, and celebrates its 93rd anniversary in 2018. FCA Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of FCA US LLC, a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA Canada has approximately 440 dealers and sells 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. In addition to its assembly facilities, which produce the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and Dodge Grand Caravan (Windsor), Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger (Brampton), FCA Canada operates an aluminum casting plant in Etobicoke, a research and development centre in Windsor, and has sales offices and parts distribution centers throughout the country.