Auburn Hills, Mich., Sep 18, 2003 -The Jeep® brand today announced Jeep Trail Rated™, a new way to communicate to consumers the extensive level of off-road requirements that all Jeep 4x4 vehicles must meet. The new 2004 Jeep 4x4 vehicles - Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Wrangler -- with Trail Rated badges start arriving in dealerships next week.

“Jeep Trail Rated is an industry-leading methodology to objectively measure and predict off-road performance for all Jeep vehicles,” said Jeff Bell, Vice President Jeep, DaimlerChrysler Corporation. “We created Jeep Trail Rated to communicate the legendary Jeep capability that is designed into every Jeep 4x4.”

Jeep Trail Rated is supported by the Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC), which has 45 years of off-road vehicle testing experience, including the creation of standards for the U.S. military.

The new Jeep "Trail Rated" badge indicates that every Jeep 4x4 has been designed to perform in a variety of challenging off-road conditions identified by five key consumer-oriented performance categories, including Traction, Ground Clearance, Maneuverability, Articulation and Water Fording.

“Through a combination of natural and controlled field tests, as well as computer-simulated environments, Jeep Trail Rated provides a repeatable and consistent measurement of off-road performance for all Jeep vehicles,” said Bell. “As the Jeep brand expands, Trail Rated will help us ensure that our legendary 4x4 capability remains a cornerstone of the Jeep brand.”

Six new print ads and four new television spots will communicate the stringent requirements that Jeep vehicles must meet in order to earn the Jeep "Trail Rated" badge. The new spots will highlight one of the five consumer-oriented categories that make up Jeep Trail Rated. Both print and broadcast ads break in mid-October. Consumers can also see details of Jeep Trail Rated on Jeep.com. Additionally, the Jeep brand will debut Jeep Trail Rated creative in The New Yorker magazine’s charter edition of the Tablet PC.

Describing the overall direction of the ads, Bell added, “Each print ad will consistently show the performance standards with a capability graphic that highlights one of the five off-road conditions being demonstrated, along with the Trail Rated 4x4 badge. The television spots will also feature the performance categories and the Trail Rated 4x4 badge.”

“The Jeep brand continues to deliver on the promise to provide rugged, versatile vehicles with authentic 4x4 capability,” said Bell.