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Show Wed/Thrus/Fri. September 15-17, 2004 The Park Record C-20 This bracelet was a gift Amber Apodaca received from the center where she helped teens wrth drug and alcohol problems, She was wearing I when an underage drunk driver took her life. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. A new generation offull-size sedans bucks convention with new moxy and muscle By MALCOLM GUNN WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS et ready for the next-generation of domestic family haulers from Daimler/Chrysler. Be warned, these radically reengineercd cars will take some getting used to. Due out this spring, the 2005 Chrysler 300 sedan and Dodge Magnum wagon arc a clear departure from the company's current froju- wheel -drive Chrysler Coficorde, Chrysler 300M and Dotfge Intrepid sedans. They also represent an about-face in familycar'design philosophy. Bigger is touted as better and rear-wheel drive/V8 performance is what, at least in Daimler-Chrysler's eyes, many buyers really want (A1Iwheel dnve is an option). In one bold stroke, the company has completely distanced itselt from the competition - as well as its current crop of l Cab Forward' machinery - and has returned to its full-size l970s-era roots. Compared to the outpoing fullsize cars, the 300 and Magnum are actually about 10-inches shorter in loty] length, while the wheelbase has! been stretched by a half-foot As well, they're more than 2.5 inches taller. The result is a much larger - perhaps even a bit sinister - stance, especially when you factor in the bulging fenders, extra tall doors and 'chopped' roofline. The reasons for embarking on such drastic changes arc clear. The dorhestic-sedan market has been losing considerable ground to Japanese-based competitors, with cars such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, in particular, leading the charge. As well, their luxury offshoots (Acura and I^exus models, respectively) are encroaching on the up-level end of the business. The new Chrysler/Dod^e duo is poised to counter this trend by offering buyers a traditional North American big car with plenty of power turning the rear wheels. The Chrysler 300C and Dodge Majgnum RT, as the top-line models ire called, will be equipped witi the corporation's 340-norsepov'er 5.7-liter Hemi V8 connected to c five-speed automatic transmission with manual gear selection capability. SPEC SHEET '05 full-size Dodg^Chrysler •*• Fcur-door full-size sedan and wagon available in rear- and all-wheel drive. * 2.7-liter DOHC V6, 3.5-liter SOHC V6 and 5 7-liter OHV V8, producing 190. 250 and 340 horsepower, respectively. * Four-speed automatic (V6) or five-speed automatic (V8) transmissions. * The new big-size Chrysler and Dodge have no other equals in lerms of available drivelrains and power. * Those models equipped with She Hemi engine signal a return to the good or days when rip-snorting V8s ruled the road. •* The added availability of all-wheel drive and stability control will assure those who might otherwise be reluclant to surrender their front-wheel drive family cars. * Safety: Front airbags; side-impacl airbags. side-curtain airbags (opt), ABS (opt.); fraction control (opt.), stability centre! (opt.). * Base price: S23.600 According to Daimler-Chrysler, this particular drivetrain combo is good for hitting 60 m.p.h. in a scant 6.3 seconds, not bad numbers fora pair of two-ton 'family' airs. To keep fuel consumption in check, four of the eight cylinders shut down when the load is light. This innovative system activates so quickly that drivers are never supposed to notice the transition. The projected city'highway fuel reduction isn't huge - around 10 per cent compared'to a Hemi V8 without the system- but every little bit of savings is welcome, especially on models carryin" the extra weight of all-wheel dnve. For anyone not obsessed by the Hemi's torque-twisting shenanigans, the mid-level 300 Touring and Limited, as well as the Magnum SXT, come with a 250horscpower 3.5-liicr SOHC V6, while the base 300 sedan and Magnum SE wagon make do with a 2.7-liter DOHC V6. Each sixcylinder engine is matched to fourspeed automatic transmissions. All models will arrive with a strong dose of standard equipment, however you'll have to pay up to get traction and stability control (a good idea for rear-drive units), anti-lock brakes; side-curtain airbags and rear-backup assist Very interesting, but one issue remains. For years, manufacturers have conditioned us to believe that front-wheel-drive cars are belter (especially in terms of traction, overall weight and interior room) and that small-displacement, fuelsipping engines arc where it's at. How willing, then, will we accept an alternate philosophy and reembrace rear-wheel-drive cars and muscular V8 power? There's no doubt a market for full-size performance-oriented rcarand all-whcel-drive sedans and wagons. After all, premium manufacturers, including DaimlerChrysler's senior partner, Mercedes-Benz, has been proving it for years. If that approach can be extended to more affordable Dodge and Chrysler products, thereby injecting new life and more performance into the full-size domestic market, the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum will hit the road and never look back. ! i c |
