A nine-speed automatic transmission. A 295-horsepower V6 with standard all-wheel drive. An impressive interior and exterior design. With the new 2015 Chrysler 200, even the most hardened haters of the last 200 will have to admit that Chrysler did it right this time.
The official specs and even more photos of the new 200 dropped this morning. The more I see of this car, the more I dig it. According to our pals at Allpar, there's four models: the base LX, the fancier Limited, the more sport-oriented 200S, and the top-of-the-line 200C.
Power comes from either the 2.4-liter Tigershark four with 184 horsepower or the beefy 3.6-liter Pentastar with 295 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is standard on the base models, but all-wheel drive that sends up to 60 percent of power to the rear tires can be had with the V6 200S and 200C. Chrysler says both ride quality and durability are improved over the old car.
The last 200 was passed off as a luxury machine, but it's fair to say it wasn't a real competitor. The new one does a lot better with options like a panoramic sunroof, HID headlights, an "E-shift" rotary dial gear shifter, an 8.4-inch touch screen with Chrysler's excellent UConnect system and plenty of other goodies.
Here's the best part: They kept it pretty affordable. Prices start at $21,700 for the base LX and go up to just $25,995 for the 200C. Considering all you get, that's really not bad.
It looks good on the inside too, and it's attractive on the outside in a sleek and understated way. But how will it drive? That remains to be seen, but I'd say it's off to a pretty good start so far. Onward and upward, Chrysler 200.