Important From Detroit Chrysler 200S V-6 Awd (Part 1)
Any sharp-eyed shopper would be intrigued by the
specifications of the new Chrysler 200, seeing that this mid-size sedan can be
optioned with both the 295-hp Pentastar V-6 and a four-wheel-drive system. Thus
equipped, a 200S, such as the one tested here, wears a sticker just about
dead-on the average sales price for all new cars sold last year. It also sports
some Detroit-proud bodywork that makes good on all that patriotic boasting in
Super Bowl ads.
No one questions that Chrysler needs the new 200. With the
standard 2.4-liter MultiAir four and nine-speed automatic, it contends with
some of the industry’s most recognizable and high-volume nameplates- Chevy
Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry. The outgoing 200 was a
hasty polishing of the execrable Sebring by former Chrysler owner Cerberus, and
the newly formed FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) promised to replace it with a
real mid-size contender as soon as possible.
Chrysler 200S Awd
front view
And here it is. Cue the elephants and dancing bears. The fact
is, cars such as the 200, designed to appeal to the widest swath of new-car
buyers in the largest car market segment, generate profits for automakers but
little excitement around here. Notable exceptions are the Accord Sport and the
Mazda 6. Otherwise, this trade is mainly about anonymity and inoffensiveness.
On paper, the 200S promises to break out of the ho-hum horde
with class-leading V-6 power, certainly separating itself from those sedans
with just four cylinders. Also, the 200S’s four-wheel drive option is something
far fewer competitors offer. Together, those elements might suggest a budget
Audi S4 in the making.
The 200S looks all-business with blacked-out trim accenting
the sleek body, which relies for its prettiness on the current mid-market idiom
of coupe-like rooflines. Want it to look even meaner? There’s a 19-inch black-
painted wheel upgrade ($693) that this example lacked.
Chrysler 200S Awd
inside view
We could wish the shape bore less resemblance to a
taffy-pulled Dodge Dart, though the underlying architecture is basically a
taffy-pulled Dart. That said, with nearly two inches more wheelbase and more
than eight inches of additional length to work with, designers delivered a
balanced and elegant shape that yields a roomy interior and spacious trunk to
match the segment benchmarks.
On the road, the 200S is no S4, but at only $32,000 before
incentives, that’d be an unfair expectation. Think of it more as a flashier
Subaru Legacy 3.6R. The Subie, also revamped for 2013, offers a CVT as its only
transmission. So, that’s one thing we can praise about Chrysler’s new
nine-speed automatic: It’s not a CVT.
Programmed for efficiency, the trans favors the fuel-
sipping rather than the power-generating part of the rev band. It’s good for an
EPA combined rating of 22 mpg with this V-6/four-wheel-drive pairing, or 28 mpg
in the four-cylinder/front-drive configuration. Driving it hard as is our wont,
we got 23 mpg.
Chrysler 200S Awd
V-6 engine
In testing, 60 mph came up in 6.0 seconds flat, quicker than
the Legacy, VWPassat 3.6, and the V-6 Nissan Altima, but not as swift as
Honda’s V-6 Accord, which is a front-driver with a six- speed automatic. The
0.80-g skidpad rating falls far short of the sporty end of the mid-size-sedan
spectrum (i.e., the Mazda 6 i Sport at 0.87 g).
Its ride is firm and composed, and the body offers decent
control of roll, dive, and squat. But the electric-assist steering returns more
heft than feedback, and there’s a dullness to the response that keeps the 200S
from approaching the exuberance of the Mazda.
Chrysler 200S Awd
back view
The 200’s 3811-pound curb weight hurts, in spite of all its
high strength steel and aluminum (engine cradle, suspension pieces, etc.).
That’s heavy, even if an Audi A4 doesn’t do much better.
But Audi’s Quattro often works to your advantage, while
Chrysler’s system is less active, so the mass feels extraneous and parasitic.
In borrowing this four-wheel-drive setup from the Jeep Cherokee, the 200S runs
in front-drive mode most of the time, with the rear axle disconnected to
minimize friction losses. As much as 60 percent of torque can be directed
rearward when conditions warrant. It’s more of a bad-weather band aid a heavy
and elaborate form of traction control- than an enthusiast-oriented means of
putting down power.
