NEW CHRYSLER 200 IS A MAJOR STEP UP
Chrysler finally fields a serious competitor
Overview Chrysler finally has a serious competitor for family sedan buyers Pros Loads of features, quality cabin, and rare all-wheel-drive Cons Will import-brand buyers make the leap to Detroit? Value for money Excellent What would I change? The car is such an improvement over the last 200, it deserved a new name It’s that time of year again when the auto industry starts handing out the awards hardware. But before we get too knee-deep in “car of the year” trophies, let’s get this over with right now and name the new Chrysler 200 as the “most improved” new car for 2015.
I’ll make this brief: the outgoing 2010 to 2014 Chrysler 200 sedan was, to be kind, a dud.
A quick rehash of the woeful Chrysler Sebring that debuted for 2007, the frontwheel-drive, five-passenger 200 sedan sat at the bottom of a segment chockablock with stars like the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat — to name a few. The only mid-sized sedan rival the 200 arguably beat at the rental car stand (where most of these cars were found) was Chrysler’s even less impressive (and now dead) Dodge Avenger platform-mate.
While the Sebring was born under the cost-cutting days when Germany’s Daimler ran Chrysler, the new 2015 200 is one of the first products from the American brand’s new caretakers at Italy’s Fiat. Using the same Alfa Romeo-derived compact platform as the Dodge Dart sedan and Jeep Cherokee crossover, the new 200 is a step up from the outgoing model in almost every way.
For starters, Fiat-Chrysler has loaded up the 2015 200 with powertrain options (like a powerful V6 and all-wheeldrive) and luxury features (a heated steering wheel and ventilated seats are on the list) normally associated with entry-level luxury sedans, but has priced the car comparable to mainstream family sedans.
Base model, front-wheeldrive 200 LX models come with a 184 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque 2.4-litre four-cylinder gas engine, starting at $24,190 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees). As the topline model, my $33,190 200 C AWD included the optional 295 hp and 262 lb.-ft. 3.6L V6 and allwheel-drive. In this segment, the Chrysler’s only real rival is Subaru’s $32,390 Legacy 3.6R Touring.
Plenty of the older Chrysler Sebring/200 sedans were sold on price alone, and their downmarket interior furnishings reflected that. The cabin of the 2015 200 C AWD, though, now competes favourably with the top Asian-brand models in terms of ease-of-use, quality materials and decent fit-and-finish.
For example, the flying-buttress console between the Chrysler’s front seats is quite useful. Its top side is angled up to match the sweep of the driver’s arm, where it’s easy to use the main audio buttons and Fiat-Chrysler’s spacesaving automatic transmission gear dial. Right below is storage space and audio and power jacks. Right above is a large digital touchscreen. My only gripe is the 200 C AWD’s over-designed driver’s instrumentation that has the glare from the plastichrome dial rings competing with blue back-lighting.
The added length over the Dodge Dart results in reasonably roomy rear seating in the 200. The trunk space is sneaky big — its 453 litres of room beats the Legacy’s 425 — with a centre pass-through that’s perfect for hockey sticks.
Fiat-Chrysler uses its socalled Pentastar V6 like a get out of jail free card for buyers who like their engine with lots of cylinders and horsepower for not much money. As a result, the 200 C AWD’s 6.2-second run from zero to 100 kilometres per hour is quicker than the Legacy 3.6R — and V6 versions of the Passat and Nissan Altima. This despite the Chrysler using the segment’s first nine-speed automatic transmission, which feels slow to react.
From a costs-at-the pump standpoint, both the Subaru and Chrysler post similar estimates: 11.9 L per 100 km in the city and 8.2 on the highway for the Legacy 3.6R and 12.8 and 8.1, respectively, for the 200 C AWD. In my week with the new Chrysler family sedan, I saw a real-world 10.4 L/100 km.
Hard numbers aside, the new 200 C AWD is a very pleasant family sedan to drive, offering a nice blend of a comfortable ride and semi-athletic handling. Using the same AWD system as the Jeep Cherokee, the 200 C AWD is a front-driver the majority of the time, with its rear axle disconnected to save fuel. When the road does get slippery, the system can send 60% of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels. Driven with more gusto than the typical morning school run, the 200 C AWD’s body control is kept well in-check. And its electrical steering system feels heavy, even if there is not a lot of information being communicated from what’s going on down at road level.
Where I would be hard pressed to recommend any of its predecessors, the new Chrysler family sedan offers a well thought-out package that makes day-to-day driving a less stressful activity. For family sedan buyers looking for that rare combination of a V6 engine and traction at all four wheels, the 2015 Chrysler 200 C AWD is a compelling choice.