The Chrysler 200 is powered by a choice of two modern engines. The base engine is a new 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that makes 184 hp. It promises to be both more fuel efficient and more powerful than the engine it replaces. The optional engine is a 3.6L V6 making 295 hp. Even though this engine is a carryover from the previous 200, it is more fuel efficient in the new 200, thanks largely to the standard 9-speed automatic transmission, available across all trims. Properly equipped with a 4-cylinder engine, the 200 is estimated to average around 35 mpg on the highway.
The Chrysler 200 comes in several different trim levels starting with the LX. The base LX trim comes standard with 17-inch wheels, power windows and door locks, keyless entry, steering-wheel mounted cruise and audio controls and 6-way adjustable front seats. The Limited trim adds automatic headlights, aluminum wheels, exterior chrome accents and a 6-speaker Uconnect stereo with Bluetooth integration.
The 200S and the 200C are the next two trim levels up. Both come standard with the 3.6L V6 engine and both are available with all-wheel-drive. The 200S comes with black trim accents around the headlamps and grill, making for a much more menacing front fascia. It also gets 18-inch wheels, power folding and heated mirrors, an 8-way power driver's seat, a leather wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, sports suspension, fog lamps and a year-long subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. The top of the line 200C comes with chrome door handles, polished aluminum wheels, leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, a backup camera, a remote vehicle starter, dual zone automatic temperature control, touring suspension and an instrument cluster with 7-inch display.
Chrysler's engineers have taken safety very seriously with the new 200, and they claim that the car has over sixty safety features, more than anything else in its class. Standard features include stability control, anti-lock brakes, knee-bolster airbags for both driver and front passenger, side and side curtain airbags and speed sensitive power locks. Optional safety features include a backup camera, a rear cross traffic warning system, a forward collision warning system and a lane departure warning system.
Sleek New Styling
Modern, Efficient Drivetrain
Available All-wheel-drive
Spacious Interior
The Chrysler 200 gets a full redesign for 2015. Riding on a new Alfa Romeo platform, the new 200 shares very little with the car it replaces. New styling reveals a car that is much sleeker than previous models, while still very much identifiable as a Chrysler. The interior is all new, as is the new base engine for the 200 in 2015.
The Chrysler 200 competes in the very crowded midsized sedan class against some of the best-selling cars in America. The 200 stands up to heavyweights such as the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry and will have to do everything it can to prove that it deserves a spot amongst those sales leaders. The 200 starts at under $22,000 and offers plenty of standard equipment at that price. The new chassis is much more modern and sophisticated than the one it replaces and offers all-wheel-drive and a bevy of safety features.