The new Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger
When the new 300 came out, it was definitely a mixed bag. On the one hand, in its favor were superb cornering and handling feel - a nice sense of balance for a large vehicle combined with great road holding and a driver-tuned stability control system came from the combination of expensive Mercedes E-Class suspension design (modified to fit underneath a Chrysler and presumably to not bankrupt the company), tuned by the experts at Chrysler. (We saw from the Crossfire, particularly the SRT-6, that Chrylser is better at tuning Mercedes cars than Mercedes is.) Adding to the attraction was the top Hemi engine, which provided superlative boost with hardly any fuss and V6-style gas mileage. On the down-side was the performance with the base V6, both in acceleration and gas mileage; the 3.5’s moderately disappointing, though still perfectly acceptable, acceleration; and the relatively Spartan interior. While the 300C was definitely classy outside, inside it was, well, economy plus a nice analog clock. Compared with the 300M, the 300C is downright cheap inside - at least in appearance. We have been assured that it is actually far less susceptible to squeaks and rattles over time, not that the 300M was bad; but the 300/300C should be “world class” in that regard.
After the LX series, we saw the introduction of the Caliber, which proved that the PT Cruiser was not the last overweight smallish vehicle to be made by Chrysler. In case you thought the designers of the AMC Eagle - a compact car weighing a good two tons - had taken away their spirit, we had a surprisingly heavy small wagon, whose porky presence on the scales brought sub-Neon performance from engines with far more horsepower than the Neon ever got (unless you include the SRT-4, and to match the SRT-4, the Caliber SRT-4 will add a good 70 horsepower). Which brings us to the Sebring/Avenger.
The new mid-sized cars will hopefully give Chrysler a shot in the arm in that missing part of their product line, the popular family sedan. Chrysler used to play a huge role in that market, with A and B bodied cars, and then with various K-cars, and finally with the Spirit/Acclaim. The critically acclaimed Stratus and Sebring never sold as well as the Spirit/Acclaim, but actually made a profit; still, their sales never reached an acceptable level for a mainstream automaker with thousands of dealerships across the United States, with customers defecting to Toyota in droves for those bland, comfortable Camrys. The Stratus is set to get a more powerful base four-cylinder engine, with Chrysler’s lovely 3.5 liter V6 adding 50 hp to the current 2.7 liter engine, putting that power to the ground through a new, more efficient six-speed automatic. If the Stratus/Avenger keep their weight gains in check, they might just be able to match the 268 horsepower 2007 Camry (0-60 in 7 seconds), which also has a six-speed automatic, though the Camry’s EPA estimates (31 highway!) might be hard to reach at the same time. On the other hand, if they end up with a two-ton mid-sized car, we’re all in trouble. Maybe that won’t happen; the Caliber, after all, had to accommodate double duty as a Jeep, whereas, at least as far as we know, no Jeep version of the Sebring is planned.
We’ve now seen the Sebring and Avenger (spy shots are here) - and thanks, Autoblog for the link. Despite Dieter’s exhortations against identical twins carrying different nameplates, the only difference appears to be in their skins and perhaps a little suspension tuning, with the Avenger looking like a little Charger and the Sebring like a Charger with Crossfire styling. While we’re glad it’s not a mini-300C, the Sebring is clearly closely related to the Avenger, just as the Compass and Caliber are clearly twins.
Inside, the Sebring carries on the 300’s “silver and black” routine, with no rich burgundy, tan, or other colors; just the now-clichéd silver, gray, and black. The interior looks just about as Spartan as the 300, from what we’ve seen, even as the 300 is reportedly getting a restyled interior design to make it look, well, richer and more attractive. We sure hope that Chrysler plans to do more to the Sebring’s cabin before the official launch, because at the moment, it looks like another case of a pretty exterior and a dull, plasticky interior. Please prove me wrong, guys…!
