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Showing posts with label Chrysler 200. Show all posts

Chrysler Wants to Convince us that the 200 Convertible is as Exciting to Drive as a Flying Vehicle

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Did you know that the 2012 remake of the 1990 blockbuster film "Total Recall" with Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale (who you may remember as the leather-clad vampire Selene in the Underworld movies) will showcase futuristic Chrysler and Dodge branded hovercraft vehicles?

But there's more to it; as part of a multitiered partnership with "Total Recall", Chrysler has also launched a new co-branded commercial to promote the 200 Convertible.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

A design study is not meant to be static, but should be at a constant state of evolution, which is precisely what Lawrence Technological University design student Colin Bonathan is doing with his conceptual renderings for a replacement of the Chrysler 200.

In these latest drawings, which come a little over a month after we showed you Bonathan's previous take on Chrysler's mid-size sedan, we see a different execution of the front- and rear-end designs, while he also made changes to the shape of the roofline and the profile details.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

It may feature a different name and fancier looks, but pay close enough attention and it’s not hard to see that the current Chrysler 200 is a heavily facelifted Sebring.

That doesn’t come as a surprise as the Detroit automaker wanted to buy some time before it develops an all new replacement based on the CUSW platform used on the Dodge Dart, which has been jointly-developed with Fiat.

Chrysler has already admitted that the 200's successor will arrive in the market within the next year or so, but we still don't know what it will look like.

Lawrence Technological University design student Colin Bonathan, whom we came to know through his Chrysler Review Coupe and Lincoln Continental studies, attempts to shed some light on a possible design direction for the next 200 mid-size sedan.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Not that we weren't expecting it, but the Chrysler Group officially confirmed through a voluntary annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which was first discovered by Autonews, the availability of its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission on the Ram pickup truck.

The Pentastar V6, which should produce around 280-horsepower in this application, will replace the Ram truck's current 210hp 3.7-liter V6 that is linked to a 4-speed automatic transmission.

The new and more powerful Ram model will be presented next month, possibly at the New York International Auto Show.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Joining the 2012 Dodge Charger Redline at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week will be a second Mopar creation, this time based on the Chrysler 200 sedan called the Super S.

There are two available kits that improve the Chrysler 200 sedan's looks and handling respectively and which can be ordered together.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Platform sharing is nothing new in the automotive world. Everyone does it as it enables companies to reduce development costs across the board. For example, if it weren’t for the VW Touareg, Porsche probably wouldn’t have the means to develop the model that effectively made it a cash cow: the Cayenne.

And truth to be said, most of the times, your average buyer doesn't know what's hiding under the sheetmetal nor if the vehicle in question is identical in many ways to a model bearing a different badge, because what he or she sees and feels are indeed different.

The trouble starts when carmakers engage in blatant badge engineering, simply placing a different grille and a new logo on the steering wheel and calling it something else.

And that's where the problem lies for Fiat and Chrysler. The automotive alliance recently revealed a trio of Lancia models in Europe: the Thema sedan, Flavia Cabrio and the Voyager MPV, which are nothing more than rebadged versions of the Chrysler 300, 200 Convertible and Town & Country respectively.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Chrysler announced today that it will invest $165 million in its Sterling Heights, Michigan plant to add a new state of the art, one million square-foot body shop.

Last December, the Detroit carmaker had also revealed that it would invest close to $850 million in the plant’s new paint shop and stamping facilities in Sterling Heights and Warren. The latest investment ups Chrysler’s total investments in its US factories to $3.5 billion since June of 2009 .

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Fiat Group may have exhibited both the sedan and convertible variants of the Chrysler 200 re-branded as the Lancia Flavia at the Geneva Salon in March, but at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Italians will only bring the open top model.

Citing inside sources from the Fiat Group, Autonews reported that only the convertible version of the Flavia will make it into production as the cost of adding an essential diesel engine wiped out the business case for the sedan model in Europe.

Friday, July 29, 2011

In February, during the Super Bowl, Chrysler aired its new advertising campaign for the 200 featuring the slogan “Imported from Detroit”. The commercial, which showed famous rapper Eminem driving around the Motor City under the sounds of his hit song “Lose Yourself”, won 5 awards at Cannes.

Three months later, Audi aired a TV ad in Germany about the 2012 A6 Avant. It featured a man driving around a German city -much like Eminem did- with a background music that sounded far too similar to the “Lose Yourself” hit.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A dozen vehicles from the three core Chrysler brands covering more than half of the company’s 2011 models are being recalled in the United States to fix a potential problem with the steering column.

The recall covers 11,351 vehicles and affects certain 2011 model year Dodge Journey crossovers, Jeep Wranglers, Chrysler 200s, Chrysler 200 Convertibles, Dodge Avengers, Dodge Nitros, Jeep Liberty SUVs, Dodge Calibers, Jeep Compass crossovers, Jeep Patriots, Dodge Grand Caravans and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

Monday, April 18, 2011

If you've been following our recent reports on Chrysler’s update lineup, then you know about the Auburn Hills-automakers plans to expand its range with a new trim series called ‘S’, which is aimed at younger buyers who want something a little more attitude in looks.

Following the appearance of the 2011MY 300, 300 and Town & Country S Concepts at the 6th Annual Spring Festival of LXs in California, in late March, Chrysler has lifted the veils off the first production S models based on the 200 Sedan and Convertible.

The ‘S’ treatment is a cosmetics-only package, with both the saloon and drop top 200 gaining a bespoke front grille with a black background, body color mirrors and door handles, smoked headlamps, unique 18-in. aluminum wheels with dark painted pockets and “S” badging.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Chrysler found the perfect opportunity to preview its upcoming range of ‘S’ models at the 6th Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, California this past weekend. The Detroit automaker showed off the “S” trimmed 2011MY 300 sedan, 200 Convertible and Town & Country in concept forms, though all three models are scheduled to enter production later this year starting with the 200 this spring.

According to Chrysler, the “S” treatment is a cosmetic package designed to appeal to younger customers that want something more “edgy” in terms of style. On the 300, this translates to a bespoke gunmetal finish, a new front grille, smoked headlamps and taillights, beefier alloy wheels in a unique design, a boot lid spoiler and if we’re not mistaken (since Chrysler has not released any official details), a lowered suspension. The interior also receives a makeover with red leather seats sporting the “S” logo and bespoke trim.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Chrysler Group LLC is suing a three-store retailer called ‘Pure Detroit’, which sells locally inspired merchandise, for using the automaker’s "Imported from Detroit" slogan that premiered earlier this year in a Super Bowl commercial staring rapper Eminem.

According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the press, Chrysler argues that the local business began selling t-shirts with the ‘Imported from Detroit’ tag line shortly after the two-minute Super Bowl ad hit the air. The company added that it had applied to register ‘Imported from Detroit’ as a trademark for “various uses, including branded clothing”, on January 18, 2011.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Chrysler has released a new dedicated lineup of clothes and apparels featuring the brand’s “Imported from Detroit” motto, which first appeared on the 200 Super Bowl commercial with Eminem. And yes, the possibility that the merchandise may not be made on this side of the world did cross our minds too, but Chrysler’s website put those dastardly doubts to rest stating that the clothes and apparels are all made in the USA.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Chrysler Group is showcasing its new “Imported from Detroit” tagline for the 200 model series with a massive wrap covering almost the entire west side of the company’s 15-story headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Detroit automaker's new tagline made its debut in a two-minute advertising spot for the company's latest entry to the mid-size segment on Super Bowl Sunday.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Maybe it's because I'm a suspicious person by nature, but upon seeing the pictures of the Lancia Flavia Concepts, the first thing I thought of doing was to head over to Chrysler and check out the gallery of photos of the 200. Now, even though there's a possibility I could be wrong, my gut instinct and experience tell me that the photo of the official Lancia Flavia Convertible Concept has been doctored, or to put it bluntly, the Fiat Group simply photoshoped the Italian firm's badges on an existing photo of the Chrysler 200 Convertible.

Lancia is going to be quite busy at next month's Geneva Salon as the Italian brand deepens its ties with Chrysler by incorporating the latter's models into its range. Next up on our list after the new Lancia Thema, are the Flavia concept saloon and convertible models, which pay tribute not to their historic ancestor of the 1960s but to art of badge engineering. The two Flavia studies are based on the respective body styles of the Chrysler 200.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The numbers are in for last week's Super Bowl event and they show that the winner is General Motors with its Chevrolet’s spot, “Miss Evelyn’s Wild Ride”. According to Nielsen, an estimated 119,628,000 viewers watched two guys describing a woman’s wild ride in a silver Chevrolet Camaro making it the most-watched commercial ever. The previous record holder was a Doritos ad from 2010 with 116,231,920 viewers. GM's winning streak continued with the Chevy Cruze ad that came in second with 119.3 million views.

However, despite the record viewing number, Chevy's lovely ladies couldn't beat Volkswagen's little Darth Vader in the Passat ad for the most favorite commercial of the game with a Nieslen likability index of 186 (the average score for the Super Bowl ads is 100, meaning VW's Passat ad was almost twice as liked as the average commercial).

Monday, February 7, 2011

Chrysler, unlike other automakers that were teasing and showing off their Super Bowl ads well before Sunday's event, held back giving viewers their first taste of the brand's two-minute long commercial in the third quarter of the game. The new TV spot, called “Born of Fire," showcases the all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 and reveals the brand’s new tagline, “Imported from Detroit.”

The commercial, which features singer Eminem driving the 200 through Detroit, is as much about the brand and the revamped mid-size sedan as it is about Detroit and the town "that’s been to hell and back.” Overall, we'd say the ad conveys an honest and somewhat emotional message to consumers about the 200 as well as Chrysler in general.

Friday, February 4, 2011

The new 200 Convertible will make its motorshow premiere at the upcoming 2011 Chicago Auto Show, which runs for the public from February 11 to 20, Chrysler confirmed today. Essentially a re-packaged, re-designed and partially re-engineered version of the drop-top Sebring, the 200 Convertible will soon go on sale in the States with a starting price of $27,195, and a choice of two powerplants, a 173HP 2.4-liter four-pot and a new 283HP 3.6-liter V6, both matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.