   2015 Chrysler 200. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Paul Williams
Louisville, Kentucky – In the 2015 Chrysler 200, one imagines this mid-size sedan, along with the company that builds it, as something of a metaphor for Detroit itself. Rising from the ashes, so to speak; reborn, rejuvenated. Or at least, going in the right direction.
The new car features mats with an embossed Detroit skyline, an optional “Detroit” themed interior (along with New York City and Sausalito, California, it must be said) and is engineered, designed and built in the newly renovated and once slated for demolition Sterling Heights Assembly Plant just outside of Detroit, Michigan.
Yes, “Proudly imported from Detroit,” but on an Italian-derived Alfa Romeo–based chassis, a result of Chrysler’s acquisition by Fiat, which also owns Alfa Romeo.
But that shouldn’t hurt, right? A European platform from a brand with a tradition of sporty handling and responsiveness underpinning an American designed and engineered car targeted to the North American market. Could be good!
The 2015 Chrysler 200 is all new. Arriving with a nine-speed (count ’em, nine…) automatic transmission and a choice of two engines, the 200 aims for a combination of satisfying power underfoot and an estimated 5.7 L/100 km fuel consumption in highway driving (only the 3.6L V6 AWD 200 has been EPA certified at 13.1/8.1/10.7 L/100 km city/highway/combined). All-wheel drive is available, but the starting price with standard front-wheel drive is $22,495 plus destination.
It wears yet another “new” face of Chrysler (sorry; don’t mean to be cynical, but we’ve seen a few) with integrated grille and headlamps and a revised Chrysler badge. Chrysler describes the exterior design as “restrained,” showcasing “sensual lines and surfaces.” On the other hand, the designers have opted for a “darker, more sinister” look for the 200S, not found on other models in the lineup. That model features gloss black exterior trim surrounding the side windows, for instance, and 19-inch “Hyper Black” wheels are available with a standard dual-exhaust.
Two engines are offered: the familiar and optional 3.5L Pentastar V6 producing a “class-leading” 295 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, and the standard but newly available 2.5L “Tigershark” Multiair inline four-cylinder (I4) producing 184 hp and 173 lb-ft torque (that’s the one with the estimated 5.7 L/100 km highway fuel consumption). Compared to the outgoing four-cylinder engine, the Tigershark delivers a 19-percent improvement in fuel economy, 6-percent increase in horsepower and 10-percent increase in torque. Note, however, that this is a 2015 model, and the expected highway fuel consumption using the revised Energuide 2015 drive cycle (aligning with the EPA) is 6.8 L/100 km.
Contributing to the fuel economy in AWD trims, the all-wheel-drive system features a fully disconnecting rear axle that permits the car to operate in front-wheel drive when all-wheel drive is not needed. It will do this at any speed, automatically and seamlessly, according to Chrysler.
  2015 Chrysler 200. Click image to enlarge |
No manual transmission is available; an innovative and space-saving rotary dial located in the centre console instead controls the multi-speed automatic. Both gear selection by the driver and automatic shifting on the road are electronic rather than mechanical.
Available options include adaptive cruise control that can bring the vehicle to a full stop without driver intervention if required, forward collision warning and intervention, lane departure warning and intervention, a parallel/perpendicular park assist system, blind spot and cross-traffic alert, and a dual-pane sunroof. An electronic parking brake is standard and operates automatically if the driver opens the door and unlatches the seatbelt while forward or reverse gears are still engaged.
At its $22,495 opening price the Chrysler 200 LX includes as standard the four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, air conditioning, Uconnect Bluetooth, steering wheel–mounted audio and cruise controls, tilt/telescoping steering, power windows, outside temperature gauge, 17-inch steel wheels with covers, LED tail lamps, “Keyless Enter ‘n Go” and active grille shutters for improved fuel economy.
The expected volume seller (or as Chrysler terms it, the “velocity” model) will be the $24,995 Limited, which adds alloy wheels, power driver’s seat, heated front seats, enhanced Uconnect, satellite radio fog lamps, power and heated exterior mirrors and chrome trim.
The $26,995 200S offers 18-inch alloy wheels, a special interior, paddle shifters, sport suspension, a driver-selectable Sport Mode “S” option (that provides more immediate and aggressive gear shifting, steering and throttle response and less intervention by the stability control system), acoustic windshield and side glass and the interior/exterior dark chrome accents.
The top-of-the-line $27,995 200C includes leather-faced seats, heated steering wheel, rear back-up camera, large-screen Uconnect multimedia centre and an in-cluster display centre, remote start, chrome exterior accents, turn signals in the mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control and garage door opener.
All-wheel drive is a $2,500 option on the 200S and 200C but is only available with the V6 engine. Likewise, 19-inch wheels are optional only on the 200S and 200C.
  2015 Chrysler 200. Click image to enlarge |
The 2015 Chrysler 200 is a good-looking car competing most directly with the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. Exterior fit and finish is first rate, with Chrysler having done an excellent job in assembling and presenting this vehicle. The paint is luxurious and rich, the wheels are finely crafted, the overall look is smooth and aerodynamic. It is an appealing design, surpassing the Honda and Toyota, I think, but still a bit wanting in comparison with the Fusion.
The interior is likewise finely crafted with several details that stand out. The retracting centre console, for instance, is a clever stroke, enabling the driver or passenger to slide the drink holders and storage container back underneath the armrest to reveal a cavernous container that will easily swallow an iPad or similar. It’s also the location for the media inputs.
  2015 Chrysler 200. Click image to enlarge |
Rear seat accommodations are generous, although the attractive coupe-like roof profile did cause me to bang my head when getting in. The trunk is large and deep at 453 L.
The rotary gearshift is discrete, easy to use, if not entirely satisfying in the hand. The instrument panel is bathed in blue light and the steering wheel is thick and comfortable to use. Interior surfaces are pleasant to the touch and look well-tailored and expensive.
We drove the V6 Chrysler 200C AWD and the I4 200 Limited and have nothing but good things to say about the driving dynamics of this car. Handling on the twisty two-lane country roads outside of Louisville far exceeded the abilities of the outgoing model and felt BMW 3 Series–like in control, stability and ride.
The cabin of the Chrysler 200 was just about silent on smooth pavement. Wind noise is all but absent, the aerodynamic mirrors slicing through the air, creating no turbulence as we proceeded at highway speeds. On rough pavement you get tire noise, but that’s typical for all vehicles no matter the cost. The exhaust note of the V6 model is assertive under acceleration but still evident when cruising. Too much so, I think. While it does remind you of the power available when accelerating, it doesn’t need to keep doing this when cruising. In my opinion, buyers for this type of vehicle would be more impressed by quiet than the drone of the exhaust.
The instrument cluster is a fine design, but I found the major gauges only dimly illuminated in daytime driving, and the gauges themselves a bit small. Fortunately, the 200C’s in-cluster display can give you a digital readout, but if you select that, you lose the trip odometer.
Nonetheless, that electronic display is comprehensive and easy to scroll through. Obviating the need for rotary temperature and fuel gauges, one wonders when the big tachometer itself will rightly be subsumed. After all, who really looks at it (or even knows what it does!)?
That said, the rotary shifter – similarly a space-saving replacement for the column or console stick shifter – may take some getting used to. I found I had to look at it (or at the display), which is inconvenient when you’re alternating between Drive and Reverse while maneuvering in close quarters. My experience was that it seems a bit too delicate to confidently operate by touch alone, as one can with a conventional shifter.
On the road, however, the electronically controlled transmission is a pleasure, and it doesn’t busily make micro-shifts between its many gears as you might expect. And when going downhill, it will select and hold the lower gear, just as you would if you were driving a vehicle with manual transmission. Other than descending a steep grade, I was barely aware of its operation.
  2015 Chrysler 200. Click image to enlarge |
I found the V6 car more enjoyable and entertaining to drive than the four-cylinder model. Not just because there was more power available, but also because the engine, transmission and chassis seemed more integrated, better suited to each other. If the AWD system was decoupling as described, I didn’t notice it. The I4 in contrast seemed tentative to me, the transmission less sure of what gear it wanted, the engine almost at odds with it on occasion. At highway speeds, however, all was quiet and smooth, like the V6. Perhaps if I’d driven it before the 200C this behaviour wouldn’t have been so apparent.
Fuel economy from the I4 didn’t seem that much better than the V6 in our long driving loop, although we did little city driving, where the I4 should shine. Both engines, it’s worth noting, are rated for regular grade fuel.
As far as the “darker, more sinister” 200S is concerned, I’m not sure about that model’s appeal for the midsize sedan buyer. A Dodge Dart in similar livery would more easily find its niche, I would think. As far as I know, buyers of mid-size family sedans want more control from their stability systems, not less. We’ll have to see.
But overall the 2015 Chrysler 200 is a huge step forward from the outgoing model, now combining excellent road manners, appealing design, finely crafted interior and value pricing given its long list of standard and optional equipment.
This is the first of the really new Chryslers. It should be on the list of anyone looking to buy in this segment.
Pricing: 2015 Chrysler 200
Chrysler 200 LX: $22,495
Chrysler 200 Limited: $24,995
Chrysler 200S: $26,995
Chrysler 200C: $27,995
Options: All-wheel drive (on 200 S and 200C models only) – $2,500
Available: Second quarter, 2015
