Though the Chrysler 200’s sheet metal, interior and chassis may be updated, underneath, the car is remarkably similar to its predecessor, the Chrysler Sebring. While the 200 has managed to shed some of the Sebring’s rental-car stigma, it’s not what anyone would consider class-leading.
That’s about to change with the introduction of the 2014 Chrysler 200, according to Wards Auto (via World Car Fans). Chrysler’s Senior Vice President of Product Design, Ralph Gilles, promises the car will sport a new styling direction, bringing with it a “very different feeling [and] look.” We assume that look will be applied to both a sedan and a convertible.
That’s as much detail as Gilles would provide, except to say that the 2014 Chrysler 200 (which will be built on the CUSW platform used by the new Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan) would be a “beautiful and relevant vehicle.” The same can’t be said for its Dodge Avenger stablemate, however, since this variant will disappear from Chrysler’s lineup at the end of 2013.
Countering this potentially bad news is word that the Dodge Challenger will be seeing some much-needed interior upgrades for 2014. Gilles points out that the Challenger’s cabin is the oldest in the group, and that it’s got a lot of opportunity for improvement.
That sounds to us like the Challenger will remain in Dodge’s product line for the near future, since no automaker wants to fund an interior redesign for a car that’s end-of-life. An updated interior would certainly make the car more competitive against its pony car rivals from Ford and Chevrolet.