Sketches uncovered of new 200
Chrysler’s muscular 300 has soldiered along well over the years, but its 200 has rather let the side down writes Dave Moore.
IT WAS once optimistically called the Sebring, despite not having a motorsporting bone in its quirky overwrought body, and with the change to naming it the 200 in order to denote its positioning relative to the mighty 300, it was hoped that the accompanying facelift would make it a little more convincing.
No such luck. A new grille and the removal of the ribs in its difficult to press engine cover were not enough to engender a personality for the car and punters continued to stay away in droves.
But such a stopgap was only put in place while new owners Fiat gathered its designers and engin- eers to create an all- new 200 worthy of its position.
That all-new 200 is due to be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2014 as a 2015 model and we’ve been able to secure some sketches of its intended looks.
While it’s obvious that production models seldom look like their poshed-up initial renderings, Chrysler is one company that has managed to realise its better renderings pretty accurately, the Viper, Prowler and 300 being good cases in point.
As well as a new 200, Chrysler is to prepare an all-new replacement for the Dodge Avenger car’s sister product at the Sterling Heights factory in Michigan. On the same platform, with styling based on a miniaturised Charger sedan, the Avenger always did a little better in the marketplace than the 200.
Both mid- size sedans will be built on the Chrysler-Fiat alliance’s new CUSW platform sourced from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta that already underpins the new Dodge Dart.