Filed under: Sedan, Chrysler, First Drives



For the last seven years, the Chrysler Sebring/200 has been a car that few people have managed to say anything good about. When you saw one on the road, it was probably silver and you probably assumed it was rented - especially if it was a convertible. In fact, this writer has never been in one. Ever. I've only watched them go by, trailed always by a roiling wake of invective and vituperation, a lone defender or two asserting meekly and in vain, "It's actually not that bad..."

With roughly 2.3-million units sold every year in the midsize sedan segment where the 200 lives, even tallying 125,476 sales in 2012 (when the 200 was the best-selling car in the Chrysler Group) was never going to be enough. This is the brand's volume offering and the entry point for new-car buyers before they move up to something like a full-size or a crossover. Chrysler's 2011 facelift and rebranding program was a pretty valiant attempt at putting lipstick on a Sebring, but the automaker needed to do a lot better, in every way to command more consideration, sales, respect and resale value - and everyone at The Pentastar knew it.

Enter the 2015 Chrysler 200. This is the sedan that "charts a new course for the Chrysler brand," from its hovering wing badge on the grille to the one billion dollars invested in the company's suburban Detroit Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, including more than doubling the number of quality control inspectors in the new quality assurance center.

Since I've never been in a 200 before, I can't tell you how much better this new model is compared to the sedan it replaces. But that's alright, because Chrysler didn't need to just make a better 200, it needed to make a midsize sedan that belongs in the segment, one that can legitimately rival models like the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. Turns out the 2015 200 is an auspicious start on that new course: the new 200 is good, and comes ready for battle.Continue reading 2015 Chrysler 200

2015 Chrysler 200 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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