Chrysler uses a pile of buzzwords to describe the all-new 200: “iconic,”
“industry first,” etc. It’s as if the Chrysler folks thought they were
speaking at TED and not the Detroit auto show. Normally, the car media
scoffs at such hyperbole, but buried in all the thought leadership,
paradigm shifts, and needle moving lurks something long absent in the
company’s mid-size sedan portfolio: bravado. Or, at least, what passes
for bravado when you’re launching a Camry competitor with a base price of just $22,695.
The 2015 Chrysler 200 rolls into dealerships sometime this spring. Ultimately replacing both the Dodge Avenger
as well as its namesake (formerly known as the Sebring), the 200 comes
off the old Chrysler platform and onto Fiat’s “Compact U.S. Wide”
component set. The architecture is shared with the Dodge Dart,
but here the wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer. This allows Chrysler to
stretch the body to 192.3 inches, which is longer than the Honda Accord and Volkswagen Passat.
On paper, there’s nearly an inch and a half more rear legroom than in
the old model, and the new 200 is also wider and has a larger trunk.
In addition to the big-boy sheetmetal, the 200 offers an optional
big-boy engine. A 3.6-liter V-6 is again available and has 12 more
horses than before, for 295. And, if you don’t want to overwhelm your
front tires with that kind of power, you can now order your 200 with
four-wheel drive. Bundled with the V-6 upgrade, it’ll cost you $4200,
but Chrysler promises that fuel economy won’t suffer too much thanks to
the four-wheel-drive system’s on-demand actuation (it remains a
front-driver until the system detects slip). ZF’s nine-speed automatic
is standard on all models including those equipped with the base engine,
the 184-hp, 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder. If the powertrain
sounds familiar, that’s because the 200 shares a lot with another
platform-mate, the Jeep Cherokee.
Inside, there is more corporate-parts-bin kit, but at least we’re
talking the nicer Fiat-era stuff, like the rotary shifter from the Ram
pickup and the company’s big-screen infotainment system. The optional
features list is replete with safety tech, from adaptive cruise control
to a collision-warning system that automatically applies the brakes,
both on the road and while backing up. And because life is sometimes
hard, the 200 also can parallel-park itself.
Whether anyone outside of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car purchasing
department will want to park the 200 in their garage will likely come
down to the car’s sleek lines and improved proportions, both of which
Chrysler got right. Richer materials inside, coupled with an attractive
instrument panel, should also please non-fleet buyers. We've now driven
the Chrysler 200
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