Thursday, June 26, 2008

Dodge Announces Improved Fuel Economy and Best-in-class Horsepower (390) and Torque (407 lb.-ft.) for All-new 2009 Dodge Ram


      New Ram Will Also Offer Best-in-class Aerodynamics (.419 Cd) and
Performance (0-60 in less than 6 seconds)

CHELSEA, Mich., June 26 /PRNewswire/ --

-- All-new 5.7-liter HEMI(R) with fuel-saving Multiple Displacement
System (MDS) technology offers 4 percent improved fuel economy, 13 percent
more horsepower, 8 percent more torque over 2008 engine

-- Best-in-class performance: R/T regular cab 4x2 model (0-60 in less
than 6 seconds)

-- Best-in-class aerodynamics -- .419 coefficient of drag (Cd) for
crew- size 4x4 models - to help fuel economy

-- Flexible-fuel-capable 4.7-liter V-8 offers 6 percent increased fuel
efficiency, more performance and refinement over previous-generation
4.7-liter engine

-- 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine in Dodge Ram Heavy Duty
achieves 2010 NOx emission standards in all 50 states right now, making it
the cleanest and best-performing diesel available on the market

-- All-new light-duty diesel to be introduced after 2009 -- up to a 25-
percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 20-percent reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions over a gasoline engine with equivalent horsepower and
torque

-- All-new Ram 1500 Hybrid model to be introduced in 2010 model year --
up to 40 percent fuel economy improvement in the city and 25 percent
overall

This morning, Dodge will showcase its new 2009 Dodge Ram powertrain
lineup at the company's proving grounds. Powertrain choices in all-new 2009
Dodge Ram models will offer improved fuel economy plus more power, torque
and refinement than ever before.

Engines available in all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 models include the
all- new best-in-class 390-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI(R), flex-fuel
4.7-liter and 3.7-liter gasoline engines. 2009 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty models
(with current 2008 design) are available with either the 5.7-liter HEMI or
the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine -- which already achieves 2010 NOx
emission standards, making it the cleanest and best-performing heavy-duty
pickup truck in the market.

"While the all-new HEMI engine maintains the key characteristics that
make HEMI a household name in powertrains, we added new technologies --
including Variable Valve Timing -- that substantially improve fuel economy
and refinement and maximize performance," said Bob Lee, Vice President -
Powertrain Product Engineering Team, Chrysler LLC.

"Our all-new Dodge Ram also offers best-in-class aerodynamics to go
hand- in-hand with Chrysler's fuel-saving technologies," said Mike
Accavitti, Director -- Dodge Brand and SRT Global Marketing and
Communications, Chrysler LLC. "And, with Dodge Ram's first-ever crew cab,
first-in-segment coil-spring rear suspension, industry-first RamBox cargo
management system and more than 35 new or improved features, we're changing
the game in the truck market."

All-new 5.7-liter HEMI to offer best-in-class horsepower and torque

For 2009, Dodge offers a new generation of the famous 5.7-liter HEMI
V-8 in its Ram trucks, with best-in-class horsepower and torque. The new
HEMI powers the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram to best-in-class performance: the
R/T regular-cab 4x2 model equipped with a short bed and 4:10 gears can
accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds.

While the all-new engine maintains many of the basic features that make
"HEMI" synonymous with "power," several technologies were added or
improved:

-- Variable Valve Timing (VVT)

-- Expanded operating range of the fuel-saving Multiple Displacement
System (MDS)

-- Increased compression ratio

-- Active intake manifold with long runners for low-end torque and
short runners for high-rpm power



-- Improved cylinder head port flow efficiency

-- Reduced-restriction exhaust and induction systems

The result is improved idle quality and overall refinement, more
horsepower (13 percent), more torque (8 percent) and better fuel economy (4
percent).

"The all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine will offer our customers better
fuel economy, improved idle quality and overall refinement, along with more
horsepower and torque," said Lee. "HEMI has always been synonymous with
power, and now -- thanks to VVT, expanded four-cylinder mode in our MDS
system, and a host of other technologies -- Chrysler's new HEMI delivers
more fuel efficiency and refinement, along with even more power."

The new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 delivers best-in-class 390 hp (291 kW), a 13
percent improvement, and 407 lb.-ft. (552 N.m) of torque, an 8 percent
improvement, while providing an estimated improvement of 4 percent in fuel
economy.

The HEMI's new VVT improves fuel economy under some conditions in two
ways. First, it reduces the engine's pumping work by closing the intake
valve later. Second, it increases the expansion process of the combustion
event. This allows more work to be transferred to the crankshaft instead of
being rejected out of the exhaust port as heat. Essentially, VVT optimizes
engine breathing, which improves engine efficiency and power.

Dodge's fuel-saving MDS system seamlessly alternates between smooth,
high- fuel-economy four-cylinder mode when less power is needed, and V-8
mode when more power from the new 5.7-liter HEMI engine is in demand. An
expanded MDS operating range in the new-for-2009 HEMI -- aided in part by
the Ram's best- in-class aerodynamics -- will allow customers to realize an
even-greater fuel economy benefit. When MDS is operating, it is indicated
by the fuel-economy- mode readout in the 2009 Dodge Ram's Electronic
Vehicle Information Center.

Chrysler estimates that since its inception of MDS in 2005, nearly 100
million gallons of gasoline have been saved, along with reduced carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions of close to a million metric tons.

4.7-liter V-8

An available 4.7-liter V-8 delivers 310 horsepower (231 kW) and 330
lb.- ft. (447 N.m) of torque.

The 4.7-liter V-8 shares some of the HEMI engine's combustion
technology with its twin spark plugs per cylinder. It also makes use of
increased compression ratio, improved cylinder head port flow and a new
slant/squish combustion system designed to optimize fuel economy, power and
torque.

This engine is also compatible with E85 fuel, earning the Flexible Fuel
Vehicle (FFV) designation that provides customers the option of operating
their vehicle on mixtures of gasoline and ethanol.

3.7-liter V-6

Unlike some others in the marketplace, Dodge will continue to offer
customers a V-6 engine.

Standard on all-new 2009 Dodge Ram two-wheel-drive regular cab and Quad
Cab(R) models is a 3.7-liter Magnum V-6 engine, generating 215 horsepower
(160 kW) and 235 lb.-ft. (319 N.m) of torque.

Similar to the 4.7-liter and 5.7-liter V-8s, the 3.7-liter V-6 is
equipped with Electronic Throttle Control, which provides engine torque
control while compensating for changes in engine load caused by the air
conditioning compressor, alternator and power steering pump.

The 3.7-liter V-6 also offers fuel-economy and performance benefits
from technologies including exhaust gas recirculation, compacted
graphite-iron bedplate and internal balance shaft.

6.7-liter Cummins Turbodiesel: Cleanest on the Market

The Dodge Ram Heavy Duty's 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine already
meets 2010 truck emissions standards in all 50 states, making the 2009
Dodge Ram Heavy Duty the cleanest diesel truck available on the market
today.

The inline six-cylinder turbodiesel engine uses a diesel particulate
filter (DPF) to virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions and an
adsorber catalyst to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by as much as 90
percent.

In addition to the NOx adsorber and the DPF, the 6.7-liter turbodiesel
engine includes other technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce
unburned hydrocarbons:

-- A cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system combines with a
uniquely designed piston combustion bowl and a high-flow, electronically-
controlled Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT(TM)), matching boost
pressure with the engine's performance needs to reduce emissions and
improve drivability

-- Within the exhaust system, a self-cleaning DPF and an oxidation
catalyst reduces particulate matter by a factor of 10. The emissions system
is designed for a government-certified 120,000 miles

-- A closed crankcase ventilation system eliminates crankcase fumes and
oil carry-over, a common process with past diesels

As durable as it is powerful, the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel has
life- to-major overhaul intervals of 350,000 miles, providing more than a
100,000- mile advantage over the competition.

All-new light-duty Cummins Turbodiesel

Dodge will introduce an all-new Cummins turbodiesel engine in its
light- duty pickup trucks after 2009.

The new engine will provide a dramatic increase in low-end torque, up
to a 25-percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 20-percent reduction
in carbon dioxide (C02) emissions when compared to an equivalent gasoline
engine.

With new, clean, quiet diesel technology, the new diesel engine will
meet 50-state emissions standards for 2010.

All-new Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid

The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid, available after 2009, will be the latest
addition to Chrysler LLC's fuel-efficient lineup, joining clean diesel,
HEMI and flex-fuel vehicles.

Combining Chrysler's Multi-displacement System (MDS) and two-mode
hybrid technology to greatly improve fuel economy, the 5.7-liter HEMI
Hybrid V-8 offers performance and efficiency with up to 40 percent fuel
economy improvement in the city and 25 percent overall. The two-mode hybrid
system is currently being introduced in the company's 2009 Dodge Durango
HEMI Hybrid and 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid.

The two-mode hybrid system uses electric motors to allow the HEMI V-8
to remain in four-cylinder mode more often, improving fuel economy.

In the first mode -- at low speeds and with light loads -- the vehicle
may operate on electric power only, on engine power only, or any
combination of the two. The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid may operate in
electric-only mode during slow starts (city driving) up to 25 mph, further
conserving fuel and reducing emissions. In addition, the HEMI V-8 can shut
down when the vehicle comes to a stop or during deceleration, to conserve
fuel and then seamlessly restart when power is necessary.

The second mode, used primarily at highway speeds, augments electric
assist with full power from the 5.7-liter HEMI when conditions demand it.

The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid also features regenerative braking, which
recycles electric energy that would normally be lost during braking or
deceleration. This energy is reused to power the vehicle.

The Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid will also benefit from Dodge Ram's
best-in-class aerodynamics, which allows a greater operating range of MDS.

Dodge Brand

With a U.S. market share of 6.2 percent, Dodge is Chrysler LLC's best-
selling brand and the sixth largest nameplate in the U.S. automotive
market. In 2007, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global
market.

The Dodge brand's first crossover vehicle -- the all-new 2009 Dodge
Journey -- arrived in dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2008, and is
now available outside North America in petrol and diesel powertrains in
both left- and right-hand drive. The limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger
SRT8 with a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine that boasts 425 horsepower and 420
lb.-ft. of torque started hitting the streets this past spring. Later in
2008, Dodge will add three more vehicles to its product lineup -- the
all-new 2009 Dodge Ram with game-changing exterior and interior design,
innovations, best-in-class features and craftsmanship; the all-new 2009
Dodge Challenger, a modern interpretation of the American muscle car; and
the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid, a hybrid electric vehicle that combines
fuel-efficient advanced hybrid technology with full-size SUV performance
and capability.

Last fall, America's best-selling minivan, the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand
Caravan, was introduced with 35 new or improved features including the
newest innovation, the Swivel 'n Go(TM) seating system. In 2007, Dodge sold
33,500 commercial vehicles, a 285 percent increase over 2003 when the
company returned to the commercial vehicle market and is now the sixth
largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles sold in the U.S. Also in 2007,
the Dodge Avenger and Nitro entered key volume segments outside North
America, joining the Dodge Caliber, the highest sales volume vehicle for
the company outside of North America.



SOURCE Chrysler LLC

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