   2015 Chrysler 200 S, wheel, headlight. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Tom Sedens
To say the 200 got a make-over is an understatement. It’s been redone from head to toe, and from a styling perspective, it’s been done very well. Chrysler has loaded it up with tech, luxury and goodies, and it’s riding on a Fiat platform now.
The outside skin is stunning from many angles. The car gets a lot of looks, and it’s a nice car to look at. I had plenty of onlookers ask me what it is, and it was often the object of admiration at red lights. The 200 has a nice fresh shape, especially considering what we were forced to look at in terms of the former 200/Sebring. It’s sleek, modern, muscular and aggressive without ever going overboard.
The front end gets HID headlights and LED driving lights that are very bright and actually made me think of an Audi A7 when it was coming down the street. Likewise, the rear end sports some slick tail lights and integrated dual exhaust tips.
My review car had beautiful “Hyperblack” 19-inch rims that fill the fenders. Overall, the car comes across as a whole different vehicle than the former models, and you can’t help but think it’s a more sophisticated offering as you appreciate its new lines. I’m guessing the fact that my car came in Vivid Blue Pearl doesn’t hurt either.
At first glance, the interior comes across as pretty awesome. They’ve certainly stepped out a bit and tried to do something different, and it works pretty well for the most part. The materials are a mixed bag. Yes, the upper part of the dash is crafted out of an immense piece of soft-touch plastic but much of the rest of the car is fitted with hard plastics that look and feel cheap. Certain areas like the side of the centre console feel hollow and really give a sub-standard impression. The fit and finish is pretty good, but not the best. And even with the coloured plastic trim bits inside, the black interior is very dark. I’ve seen pictures of the lighter interior and it seems to be a much more pleasant space.
The 200’s heated steering wheel is very chunky and quite huge. Hilariously, the gauges behind it are actually labeled “Tachometer” and “Speedometer” just in case you’re not sure what it is you’re looking at. The speedometer goes to 280 km/h and is cramped because of that. Between gauges is a large, very well thought out driver information screen offering a wealth of information. I found that the plastic shield over the gauges had a lot of glare coming off it and that often got irritating.
  2015 Chrysler 200 S dashboard, speedometer label. Click image to enlarge |
