Chrysler News: Spying: Chrysler Takes The 200 For A Drive In The Nighttime

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

December 13, 2013

Chrysler thought it would be a good idea to drive an uncovered 200 for a late-night photoshoot. What they weren't expecting is spy photographer crashing their photoshoot and bringing us our first good look at the next 200.

The new 200 is a massive improvement over the current model. There is a four-door coupe roofline that appears to have been lifted from the Audi A7 or Volkswagen CC. The front is quite different from recent Chrysler designs with a narrow grille and slim headlights. The back end is very reminiscent of the A7.

We also get a peek into the interior which looks somewhat familiar to the Dodge Dart with an oversized gauge cluster and similar center stack layout. There is a rotary knob which could be connected to a nine-speed transmission that has been rumored.

Luckily, we don't have to wait long for Chrysler to spill the beans on the 200 as its expected to debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Source: Autoblog

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[David]

I would have to say I think this is one of the nicest looking 200's they have ever done. Interior is interesting, not a huge fan but what looks like a nice and great improvement over past versions.

I do have to say what gives with the dinky screen on the nav/radio. That is a joke.

[Intrepidation]

INB4JELLYBEAN

[Drew Dowdell]

Chrysler often gives 2 screen size options. This could be the smaller one.

I have to say, I like the look. It moves the car up a lot in the looks department and it's finally not a gaping mouth design.

[Intrepidation]

I like the new front end design, nice to see not everyone is going for massive headlights and grills. The roof shape has gone from squished roof line to much more graceful A7/CC roof line. This looks to be a massive step up from the current car and a return to handsome midsize Chryslers.

I like the interior from what I can see, that unit is obviously either for a base model 200 or a placeholder. It'll get the 8.4 inch unit, at least higher trim models.

[Robert Hall]

Looks good..big improvement over the current model, IMO. Greenhouse reminds me of the Verano.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

The Verano and lower end Regal (maybe even higher end Regal) are going to be the natural competition for this car. I see people online comparing it to the Fusion... but I get the impression that this is a smaller vehicle.... not Fusion sized. Chrysler may be taking a "content over size" tack with this car. It doesn't need to be the largest in the segment, but it needs to be posher inside than a normal mid-size.

[Robert Hall]

I do wonder how it compares to the Dart and current 200 in size. The current 200 is towards the small end of the mid size segment, I think?

[regfootball]

I suppose they may have been trying to look like an A7 knockoff but the side glass really just looks like a current gen Avalon or a 2010 Mazda6 (which is better looking than this). There's some M45 in there also.

The front end and greenhouse don't flow together totally. Front end design doesn't quite mesh to the rest of the car IMO. It's like they are trying to make an early 000's 300M front end to the rest of the car that is not the same.

Overall it's still an improvement over what is there now.

[SAmadei]

I agree... the nicest 200 ever... but it looks too much like a shrunken A7. Too much copying and emulating today.

Give us with something bold and original. Lets start with an LED taillight that is distinct... maybe incorporates a Chrysler Pentastar or part of the Chrysler "Wing" on each side.

[ocnblu]

They've brought it up to current fashion, but not beyond, based on these photos taken on the run in the dark of a black car.

[frogger]

It looks good, but in a Hyundai way, feels like a bunch of other design elements from other cars are combined.

Way better than the current offering, but it is a very crowded segment to attempt to become a sales leader in. Look what happened to the Dart.

[ocnblu]

I am sad to see the 2014 Dart's shrunken color palette. I thought the baby blue and citrus color were awesome. Now they're back to white, blue, red, whatever.

[Drew Dowdell]

It looks good, but in a Hyundai way, feels like a bunch of other design elements from other cars are combined. Way better than the current offering, but it is a very crowded segment to attempt to become a sales leader in. Look what happened to the Dart.

The 200 shouldn't be a sales leader. I'm guessing (and hoping) that Chrysler is not aiming for Camry or even Fusion like sales volumes for this car... that is Dodge's job. Let it be the smaller, posher, mid-size car that sells on content rather than cheap subsidized leasing. They'll sell fewer of them, but at a higher transaction price and a higher margin.

[Robert Hall]

It looks good, but in a Hyundai way, feels like a bunch of other design elements from other cars are combined. Way better than the current offering, but it is a very crowded segment to attempt to become a sales leader in. Look what happened to the Dart.

The 200 shouldn't be a sales leader. I'm guessing (and hoping) that Chrysler is not aiming for Camry or even Fusion like sales volumes for this car... that is Dodge's job. Let it be the smaller, posher, mid-size car that sells on content rather than cheap subsidized leasing. They'll sell fewer of them, but at a higher transaction price and a higher margin.

With the Avenger being a dead end fleet model as it is now, they are going to have to do a lot of work at Dodge if they hope to compete with the midsize Big 3 (Altima, Accord, Camry) and Ford..

[Drew Dowdell]

Well yea, the replacement for the avenger has to be a Grand Cherokee level of good.

[Robert Hall]

Well yea, the replacement for the avenger has to be a Grand Cherokee level of good.

From a couple sources I've read the Avenger replacement could be a RWD model, but I can't see that happening...to achieve mass market midsize mediocrity in NA it has to be FWD.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[regfootball]

i don't really see much in the way of any recognizable Chrysler cues, unless you look at the grille.

[ocnblu]

Well, historically, Chrysler hasn't stuck with any set of cues for any long period of time. BMW, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and GM are the only makers I can think of that have adhered to any kind of longterm, recognizable feature set.

[regfootball]

I do think Jeep tends to hold some continuity.

Dodge Dart is sort of like Neon II.

I think Dodge and Chrysler had sort of charted a new boat when they moved into bed with Mercedes, and then that fell apart. They had big success with cab forward. Chrysler's problem I think is not really having a lot of memorable blockbuster models.

GM you know has several, Ford even has a few. A VW Golf is a VW Golf.

I think a good question here is do people prefer this in the spy photos or the last 200 concept? Both are alright, but I can see why Chrysler moved to the longer greenhouse as it is trendy right now.

[ehaase]

My understanding is that (1) Dodge isn't getting a version of this 200 and (2) the RWD Avenger replacement depends upon the new RWD platform Marchionne wants to develop for Alfa Romeo. However, it remains to be seen if Fiat can get the financing for that new platform as it currently can't access Chrysler funds.