DaimlerChrysler announced yesterday that the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee was awarded the ``Best-In-Class Compact Sport Utility Vehicle.'' by the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA).

Here's the press release:

After conducting extensive driving tests for the past four months, members of the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) drove in from the snow to salute the 1999 Chrysler Town & Country LXi and the 1999 Jeep® Grand Cherokee.

The 1999 Chrysler Town & Country LXi won ``Best People Mover'' for the second year in a row, while the all-new 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee took top honors as ``Best-In-Class Compact Sport Utility Vehicle.''

``With freezing rain, sleet and snow, New England roads provide some of the most severe winter weather conditions for all of the vehicles that we test,'' said NEMPA President Gerry Miles. ``Armed with all-wheel drive, the 1999 Town & Country LXi handled these nasty conditions with ease, all the while feeling like a toasty living room inside. The 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee raised the bar once again in the sport utility market with its new design, ride and handling, and tremendous capability.''

The 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee sets new standards in four-wheel drive leadership, comfort and style with an exceptional balance of power, performance, on-road ride as well as handling, security and luxury. Jeep wrote the book on four-wheel drive, and its all-new Quadra-Drive(TM) system is the only 4WD system in the industry that delivers traction under virtually all driving conditions.

DaimlerChrysler invented the luxury minivan market segment in 1990 with the introduction of the Chrysler Town & Country. From 1995 through 1998, Town & Country sales have increased 214 percent. DaimlerChrysler sells nearly 700,000 minivans worldwide every year and has a 45 percent share of the North American minivan market segment. Since 1983, DaimlerChrysler has sold over seven million minivans.

The New England Motor Press Association is based in Boston. The organization consists of approximately 30 automotive journalists who cover the six state region which includes Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.