DETROIT (AP) — Three years ago, Chrysler gussied up the
antiquated Sebring midsize car, gave it a new name and prayed that it
would make enough money to help the company survive.
It worked.
Prodded by a Super Bowl ad featuring rapper Eminem, Americans noticed
the restyled 200, even though it leaned through turns and cruised
noisily down the highway. Buyers mostly liked one thing: It was cheap.
Huge discounts shrank its price to among the lowest in the market.
Still,
the car wasn’t a top seller and captured just 3 percent of the market
last year. But now, a resurgent Chrysler is rolling out a revamped 200,
this time with hopes of competing against the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord
and Ford Fusion — not just on price, but on style, gas mileage,
refinement and beauty.
The new 200, to be formally unveiled Monday
at the Detroit auto show, is based on underpinnings designed by
Chrysler’s new owner, Italian automaker Fiat. But the car is still
uniquely American, with a roomy interior, a quieter engine, an athletic
stance and a curvaceous body that looks like a more costly Audi. It also
invested $1 billion at a Detroit-area factory to boost quality as it
tries to carve out a spot in the largest and most competitive segment of
the U.S. market.
"It’s brutal," Al Gardner, CEO of the Chrysler
Brand, says of the fight for midsize-car buyers. "You’ve got to be as
competitive as you can."
Last year, Chrysler sold just over 122,000 of the 200s, less than a third of the Camrys sold by Toyota.

Executives
won’t give sales goals, but they’re hoping the new 200 gets a bigger
slice of the pie, especially since it’s widely believed Chrysler will
cancel the 200’s sister car, the Dodge Avenger, to focus marketing
dollars on the 200. Executives won’t comment on the Avenger’s future.
The
timing for the new 200 isn’t ideal. Buyers are starting to shift away
from midsize cars in favor of small and midsize crossover SUVs. Some
analysts expect the midsize car market to shrink slightly this year.
But
Stephanie Brinley, an auto analyst with the consulting company IHS,
says the 200’s styling will help it pick up sales if it drives and rides
well. "Visually it’s where it needs to be, and I think the interior is
where it needs to be. It looked great," says Brinley, who previewed the
car in December.
Gardner says the 200 will deliver on ride,
handling and performance with two engine choices: a new 184-horsepower
2.4-liter four-cylinder, and a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. It also has a
nine-speed automatic transmission that will take the four-cylinder
engine to 35 mpg or more on the highway, he says. The car also features
an electronic shift system with a knob instead of a bulky lever, saving
space for storage of large objects such as purses.
Despite all the
improvements, Chrysler plans to cut the base sticker price of a 200 by
$95, to $22,695 including shipping, when the car hits showrooms in the
spring.
Mitch Clauw, chief engineer on the 200, says the company
can cut the price because its costs are lower. The 200, he said, is
built on the same underpinnings as the Dodge Dart and Jeep Cherokee, so
development costs are lower. It also shares engines with other vehicles.
"It allows us to give more value for the same cost," he says.
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