Perhaps we're more excited about the 2015 Chrysler 200, which just made its official debut at the Detroit auto show, than we ought to be. In one sense, it's just another compact sedan in a segment full of capable vehicles. But we didn't have a lot of love for the looks or performance of the current car, which felt like a carryover from Detroit's darkest days hanging around until something more competitive came down the assembly line.
Now that replacement is here. It looks good, it feels well put-together (from what we could gather from the Detroit show floor) and it might be worth a hoot on the road thanks to the Italian-American underpinnings.
To start, the car's base price is $22,695. That gets you a front-wheel-drive LX sedan powered by a 2.4-liter MultiAir 2 Tiger Shark inline-four engine good for 184 hp and 173 lb-ft or torque. The 200 Limited costs more at $24,250, but it comes with more technological features like a 5-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth connectivity. The 200S claims to be the sportier model; it starts at $25,490. Finally, the range-topping 200C starts at $26,990.
You can play around with all the options and build the 200 of your dreams on Chrysler's website. Checking every box we could, we configured what must be the most maxed-out V6-powered 200C all-wheel-drive sedan that could ever hypothetically roll out of Chrysler's Sterling Heights assembly plant. The sticker came to a ludicrous $38,550, but that build did feature $595 “lunar white tri-coat pearl” exterior paint, a $1,495 panoramic sunroof and a $95 engine-block heater, among other must-haves.
The basic 2014 200 LX, by comparison, starts at $22,790 and can be optioned out to well over $26,691. With the new car on the way (and not a moment too soon), we're sure your friendly neighborhood Chrysler dealership will be willing to cut you a deal. But why not exercise some patience and hold out for the new 2015 model? It's expected to arrive in showrooms in the second quarter of this year.