Auburn Hills, Mich., Dec 21, 2004 – Every year since its introduction, the Chrysler 5.7-liter HEMI has earned a place on Ward’s 10 Best Engines list. The results of this year’s Ward’s 10 Best were recently made public, and the HEMI was back for another award.
“The HEMI’s 10 Best Engines win for a third consecutive year is no accident. The HEMI is a powerhouse, both literally and as a marketplace phenomenon,” said Bill Visnic, Senior Technical Editor, Ward’s AutoWorld. “A look at the HEMI’s installation rates proves it’s a home run in every vehicle that gets it.”
On a product-by-product basis, the HEMI remains a popular engine choice. For Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum, the take rate is 43 percent. The Dodge Durango take rate is 54 percent, Ram is 46 percent and Jeep® Grand Cherokee is 29 percent.
The Chrysler Group Multi-Displacement System (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. This optimizes fuel economy when V-8 power is not needed, without sacrificing vehicle performance.
The 2005 Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum R/T were the first modern, high-volume production vehicles in North America to feature fully functioning cylinder deactivation, and MDS is standard equipment with the 5.7-liter HEMI engine on these models and on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Owners of the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Jeep Grand Cherokee will receive the power of the HEMI engine with an improvement of up to 20 percent in fuel economy – a benefit they would only expect from a smaller, less powerful engine.
“MDS was incorporated into the new HEMI from the beginning,” said Bob Lee, Vice President Powertrain Product Team, Chrysler Group. “The result is a cylinder-deactivation system that is elegantly simple in design and operates seamlessly without driver intervention. We’re honored to have the HEMI selected for Ward’s 10 Best Engines list three years running.”
The HEMI engine with MDS has completed over 6.5 million customer-equivalent miles through Chrysler Group’s development and durability testing. It is covered by the 7-year/70,000-mile Limited Powertrain Warranty.
In the spring of 2005, Chrysler Group will up the ante and unleash an all-new, beefed-up 6.1-liter 425-horsepower HEMI V-8 engine in the 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT8. Performance targets for Chrysler 300C SRT8 are 0-60 mph in the low five-second range and a quarter-mile time in the high 13-second range.
Source Of Information: DaimlerChrysler