Chrysler Electric Vehicles

Casey Williams, www.car-data.com

When the Big 3 CEOs arrived in Washington for hearings a few weeks ago, GM’s Rick Wagonerarrived with the company’s 2010 Chevy Volt and 2009 Chevy Malibu while Ford’s Alan Mulally drove a2009 Escape Hybrid. Chrysler’s Bob Nardelli came in, get ready for this, a prototype Jeep Wranglerelectric vehicle. He also recently showed electric versions of the Chrysler Voyager mini-van and aLotus Europa-based Dodge EV sports car.

Said Bob Nardelli, Chrysler Chairman and CEO, ‘We have a social responsibility to our consumersto deliver environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, advanced electric vehicles, and our intentionis to meet that responsibility quickly and more broadly than any other automobile manufacturer. Theintroduction of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles provides a glimpse of the very nearfuture, and demonstrates that we are serious and well along in the development of bringing electricvehicles to market.’

Chrysler’s aim is to have 100 electric vehicles in government and civil fleets during 2009 withmodels available to the driving public in 2010. The Wrangler Nardelli drove to Capitol Hill issimilar in concept to the Chevy Volt. It can drive up to 40 miles on pure electricity, then agasoline engine comes on to extend range. Chrysler claims the vehicle can travel up to 400 mileswith a full charge and 8 gallons of gasoline. The same system was demonstrated in one of Chrysler’sfamous Town & Country mini-vans.

Perhaps the most exciting, and most probable, electric car in Chrysler’s future is a Dodgesports car. The rear-drive two-seater is a pure electric car, powered by lithium ion batteries,268-horsepower electric motor, and integrated power controller. It can run 0-60 mph in less than 5seconds, cross the quarter in 13 seconds, and top out at 120 mph. Driven more reasonably, the DodgeEV has a range of 150-200 miles. Given the impending demise of the Viper, and spy photos of thesportster testing, the Dodge EV will probably be Chrysler’s first pure electric car.

A Jeep Wrangler extended-range electric car is probably not the most efficient use of lithiumion batteries, but it shows that not all advanced vehicles need to be hyper-aerodynamicfuturemobiles. I’m sure there are many families who would love an electric mini-van. Let’s hopeChrysler can bring these vehicles to market.

2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid – Two-Mode Hybrid Made For The Road

Sandi Pedersen, www.car-data.com

The first Chrysler gas-electric vehicle is finally here. The 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybridfull-sized sport utility vehicle has arrived. The Aspen delivers 7 passenger seating, upscalefeatures and some of the best MPG numbers in its class. After taking a weekend trip from Houston toAustin I was thoroughly impressed with what this Sport Utility Vehicle had to offer.

What impressed me the most? Well let’s start with the fuel economy that Chrysler estimated theAspen HEV can achieve; 19 miles per gallon city and 20 miles per gallon on the highway, which afterfirst looking at the size of the Aspen, I thought no way this SUV can even come close to thoseestimates. However, after driving more then 300 miles of both city and highway miles I averaged 22miles per gallon which said to me that the EPA estimates a bit too conservative!

The next feature that I liked was the standard navigation system which gives the driver all theinformation that they need at basically the touch of the screen and when on a road trip in the bigstate of Texas this feature was a must have. Of course when out on a long road trip the rear cargospace also is important and the Aspen has plenty of seating; enough for 3 adults in the second rowand 2 more in the third. It also has 100 cubic feet of cargo space once both rows are folded flat.This came in real handy for bringing basically my whole kitchen with us so we could cook athanksgiving dinner at my son’s apartment!

To quote my husband, ‘this Aspen was one of the best large SUV’S I have been in and I reallylike the fact that when I need it’s 385 combined horsepower it is ready to roar. Plus, we could buya boat as it can tow 6,000 lbs and look good doing it.’ I think he was fantasizing there for amoment.

And I would have to agree and hope that if United States car manufacturers can turn around therecurrent financial problems, they would incorporate more Hybrid designs into their lines.

I have come to the realization that when I get into a vehicle for the first time, I immediatelylook at the cup holder options. Call me shallow or just an avid coffee drinker, who is seldomwithout a cup, but I found in talking to other people, women in particular, that this is a veryimportant aspect of how we feel about the vehicle.

On a scale of 1-10

Cup holders ‘ 9′ LOTS and LOTS and LOTS!

Chrysler Town & Country

Casey Williams, www.car-data.com

Since the early 1990s, the Chrysler Town & Country has set the standard for luxury mini-vanseven when nobody knew they wanted a luxury mini-van. Chrysler correctly understood that babyboomers and their parents would want a more luxurious vehicle, with leather seats and all, thatwould still carry kids, grandchildren, and stand in as a pickup-truck at home stores. As with mostgreat ideas, Chrysler had been there before.

Their lineage begins at least as far back as the 1920s when special purpose bodies were put atopproduction chassis to move passengers and luggage to and from train stations, thus the term’station wagon.’ Built by independent coachbuilders, the bodies were typically crafted from wood.Credited as the first factory-built wooden-bodied station wagon, the 1934 Plymouth Westchester madeassembly and purchase of these special vehicles much easier. The 1938 Westchester, produced byPlymouth and Dodge, was the first station wagon to be classified as a car, not a truck. Ford, GM,and others also developed wagon-bodied passenger cars ‘ mostly with wooden bodies.

The 1941 Chrysler Town & Country exploited a niche in the growing U.S. auto market when itbecame the first true luxury-oriented station wagon, replete with wooden bodysides, but with enoughelegance to look great in front of upscale mansions. Designed by A. B. ‘Buzz’ Grisinger beginningaround 1938, the car was more of a fastback sedan than pure wagon, as stylish as it was practical.After only two model years and 17 months of production, World War II put an end to the buzz.

Grisinger’s work was impressive nonetheless. The car was sculpted and streamlined, ending in astylized rear end with clamshell doors. Virtually every body panel, save the steel roof, was formedfrom curved pieces of white ash and mahogany, which looked great with body colors like St. ClairBlue, Polo Green and Sumac Red. It was a ‘truck’ created for the suburbs.

Interior accommodations were positively luxurious for the day. Six- and nine-passenger editionsfeatured fold-down rear seats to increase cargo space; nine-passenger models added limousine-stylejump seats behind the front seats. Chrysler’s L-head six-cylinder engine provided motion while asemi-automatic transmission made accessing its power easy.

Only 35 of the Westchester models were sold, but total production for the Town & Countryreached 1,996 units ‘ 1,646 of which could carry nine passengers, demonstrating a solid preferenceof buyers. The Chrysler mini-van was born 40 years before Lee Iacocca and his team received credit.

After WWII, T&C models reappeared, but only as convertibles, sedans, and hardtops.Production ended in 1950. From then until now, various station wagons have been called Town &Country, with wooden bodies giving way to steel ones with woodgrain stickers faking us out. Truthbe told, the care required for real wood ‘ similar to maintaining a teak yacht ‘ was more than mostbuyers would tolerate. The last Town & Country station wagon was produced in 1988, giving wayto a luxurious mini-van with the same name in 1990. Derided by some as ‘a lumber yard on wheels,’the Town & Country set standards that are carried on by today’s mini-vans.

Said Steven Landry, Executive V.P. ‘ Chrysler Group, ‘The 2008 Chrysler Town & Country andDodge Grand Caravan offer the best package of features for today’s busy families. With a dual DVDsystem that plays different media at the same time, pinpoint LED lighting to read by, a table toplay games or finish homework, a voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic, powersliding doors and liftgate and YES Essentials’ fabric seats, every member of the family will enjoytheir journey.’

Instead of Town & Country, Chrysler could have named their luxury mini Town & Party.Parents can celebrate in the front with available Sirius Satellite Radio, automatic climate control, heated leather seats, and plenty of cubbies and cupholders to supply a tribe. The kids will love’Swivel n’ Go’ club seating with removable game table, Sirius Satellite television, and MyGig thatstores an iPOD’s worth of songs and video onboard. Whether you’re going to the mall,cross-continent, or to your grand pappy’s farm, the Chrysler Town & Country is ready to go.

Chrysler long ago sawed off the wood from the sides of its cars, but some things never change.As from the beginning, the Town & Country can carry a large family and all of their gear in acar-based package that looks as elegant at the train depot (or airport) as it does in front of amansion (or ranch house).

Chrysler 300

Casey Williams, www.car-data.com

Zero to sixty in the low five-seconds, 0-100 mph in under 17 seconds, 0.89 g on the skidpad, andfour-wheel Brembo disc brakes to match. If the performance in question did not come from afull-size, five-passenger, rear-drive American road scarfer, you would think a Corvette or MustangGT was lurking about. But, there isn’t. These numbers are from the elegantly rambunctious Chrysler300C SRT8.

Chrysler’s 300C SRT8 makes me want to put on a tuxedo, speak pretentious English, and go thrashpretenders at the drag strip while cackling out a window filled with smoked rubber. One look at theperformance figures elicits that response. Open the hood and examine the car’s 6.1-litre HEMI’ V8,connected to a Mercedes-derived five-speed manumatic transmission, to really get giddy. Thepowertrain puts out 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, or about 25% more power than the’baby’ 5.7-litre HEMI in the non-SRT 300C. Fuel economy, not surprisingly, is less than economy carfrugal at 13/18 mpg city/highway.

Most people won’t realize the 300C SRT8 is much different from any other elegantly styled 300.The sedan’s Bentley-sized grille, large headlamps, chopped roofline, broad flanks, formal roofline,and high decklid look as good wrapped around 20′ forged-aluminum wheels and Goodyear F1 low profiletires as they do on lesser touring models. SRT8s are enhanced with a subtle lip spoiler (now formedinto the decklid instead of glued on), aggressive ground affects, fog lamps, body color mirrors,unique taillamp lenses, and SRT8 badges. A long hood and short front overhangs belie the car’srear-drive layout. Its overall design looks as good now as it did upon launch several years ago.

Inside or out, the 300C is a big car. Four passengers fit comfortably in wrap-around seats, buta fifth person can straddle the rear seat transmission tunnel in a pinch. Large ‘moon-lit’ gaugesare white faced in daylight, eerie green at night; a center-dash analog clock adds class. HoldoverMercedes gear like the gated gear selector and turn signal/wiper stalk feel expensive. Alarge-diameter four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel feels great whether twisting the big carthrough turns or relaxing on the highway. I appreciated the heated leather suede seats and dualzone automatic climate control most on a recent trip through sub-zero temperatures. Huge drinkholders gripped 32 oz. McCups easily.

These features are expected in most luxury cars. However, the 300C SRT8 is also available withSirius BackSeat satellite TV (includes Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network), SiriusSatellite Radio (still loving the Elvis station), in-dash navigation, Infinity speakers, poweradjustable pedals, remote starting (even better for cold weather), and LED lighting in door binsand cupholders. SRT8-specific seats grip every part of your body while a reconfigurable dashdisplay shows performance data, including lateral gs during cornering. Cool carbon fibre trimdresses up the dash and console. Newly available adaptive cruise control allows drivers to settheir speed and let the car adjust for traffic.

Numbers and specs aren’t enough to tell you how the SRT8 drives. I’ve driven the car on the roadtrack at Texas Motor Speedway. Nothing about the car is pretend from its ultra-powerful engine,stiff performance-tuned suspension, huge Brembo disc brakes, and fun-loving electronic stabilityprogramming (ESP). Curves that would make me nervous in other well-engineered sedans were swallowedby the SRT8 with all of the drama of driving to church. Engineers apparently re-worked thesuspension since my first drive to better dampen out bumps and road irregularities. For such aperformance-tuned machine, the SRT8 is very livable as a daily driver with a super solid structureand agile suspension.

Last week, I awoke to four inches of snow under a layer of ice. After scraping the SRT8’swindshield, I began to tremble. The thought of piloting 425 horsepower connected to a rear-drivechassis and steamroller tires caused nausea. My older Corvette can’t go straight with 250horsepower. While ESP, traction control, and ABS brakes got a thorough workout (the dash lightnever quit blinking), the car was tame and manageable. Fortunately, the Interstate was plowed andwell salted. All the better on which to give the engine a thorough workout.

Readjusting to the life of a mortal without surging power and elegant style, I miss the 300CSRT8. It is a type of muscle car, whose days are numbered, except in the garages of those who willproudly own them decades from now. Few cars, like the Cadillac STS-V, Pontiac G8, BMW M5, and DodgeCharger SRT8 even compare. Expect to pay at least $41,585 or $49,220 as tested.

Chrysler Sebring Convertible

By Casey Williams www.car-data.com

Chrysler Sebring Convertible

In his autobiography, former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca recounts how the LeBaron Convertiblecame to be. Perhaps emulating Edsel Ford who had a Lincoln Zephyr customized into a two-doorconvertible for his Florida home, Iacocca ordered the top off of a Chrysler LeBaron coupe for hissummer enjoyment. The thought of him driving around in a compact K-Car, gray hair blowing, isentertaining enough. But, he claims that so many people stopped him to ask about the car that heordered it into production.

That turns out to have been a pretty smart move, no matter how the story is told. For two and ahalf decades, Chrysler has offered one of the two most popular convertibles sold in America (theother being, ironically enough, Iacocca’s other baby – the Ford Mustang). LeBaron became Sebringin the ’90s and has evolved into a very comfortable and roomy grand-tourer for four and theirentire luggage. The latest edition is available with THREE automatically latching top options:Cloth, Vinyl, or Hardtop.

Chrysler designers obviously cribbed its portfolio of models when conjuring up the Sebring ontheir CAD screens. The most obvious feature donor is the Crossfire. From the Sebring’s eggcrategrille to its deeply sculpted bodysides and wrap-around taillamps, the resemblance is obvious. Ofcourse, the Sebring sedan was shaped to look like a Crossfire sedan, no matter how inelegantly thevision was executed. Top up or down, the car looks good and hides its tall profile with a highbeltline.

Much of the interior is also a drugstore clone of the Crossfire’s. Large analog gauges, silverfinishes on the center console and doors, tortoise shell plastic on the upper steering wheel anddoors, and gated shifter look suave enough to be in a 300C. Heated and cooled cupholders keep yourlattes and sodas at the perfect temperature while automatic climate control and heated seats do thesame for yourself. Boston Acoustics speakers, touch screen audio controls, Sirius Satellite Radio,6-way power drivers seat, and tilt/telescoping steering wheel add comfort. There’s a lot of hardplastic on the doors and console, but one has to assume that is for weather resistance.

Our Limited-grade car came with Chrysler’s 3.5-litre V6 engine that produces

235 horsepower and 232 lb.-ft. of torque – all routed to the front wheels through an Auto Sticksix-speed automatic transmission. Other models come with either a 150-HP 2.4-litre four-cylinderor 186-HP 2.7-litre V6 engine.

One is never going to confuse the V6’s performance with a Charger HEMI, but it is plenty to pushthe Sebring onto the Interstate and cruise comfortably at any legal speed. The transmission isn’tthe smoothest, but gets the job done well. Fuel economy is rated a respectable 16/26-MPGcity/highway.

Engineers did the right thing by giving the Sebring Convertible thick doorsills to stiffen thebody. Where many four-seat convertibles flex and heave over every bump, the Sebring is noticeablysolid. Its four-wheel independent suspension system and precise steering are tuned right for whatare attached to a comfortable cruiser, not a purebred sports car.

Electronic stability control, traction control, and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes provide amargin of safety on slick roads or during emergency maneuvers. Sebrings are everyday cars thathappen to offer some cool features.

In the end, all that really matters about the Sebring Convertible is how quickly andeffortlessly it can mate sky and leather-lined interior. Vinyl and cloth tops are easily stowedunder the trunklid with the press of one button and a few minutes. Simple. Spend a few dollarsmore and opt for a folding hardtop that is no harder to use, but gives the all-speed silence andweather-protecting panache of a solid roof. Soft or hard, the top looks good.

Iacocca is out in California still causing trouble by criticizing auto executives while pushingmargarine, bicycles, and probably plotting his next takeover attempt of Chrysler. We won’t talkabout what he thought of Edsel’s son, Henry Ford II (who fired him). What we know for sure is thatIacocca had a great idea in chopping off the top of a regular mid-size car, offering upscale style,and putting drivers in the left seat for a reasonable price. Thank you, Lee! Our test car has abase price of $32,055, but came to $34,845 with a long list of options. Competition includes thePontiac G6 Convertible, Volkswagen Eos, Volvo C70, and of course, the Ford Mustang Convertible.