New '07/'08 Chrysler Sebring spy pics!

[carstar]

First of all I like this website

In l.a. around the afternoon i saw this chrysler in a gas station, so (luckly) i had my camera at the time and took a couple of pic.

The first pic it looks like it "bending", because it's the camera fault.

Here's some bits and pieces of this chrysler;

- This appears to be a "base" chrysler: wheel covers, cloth seating, single exhaust pipe, black outside mirrors.

- The front end grill is similar to the current crossfire

- There are structureless wiper blades.

- Headlights are a two bulb and a turn-signal setup which looks like a mix of the crossfire and that 5-door chrysler concept ( i forgot the name)

- the back is completly covered with camo, the only thing you can see is a little bit of CHMSL and signal/stop lamps

- inside the interior is grey,

- the only interior bits shared with the Dodge Cabriler (is that right?) is the steering wheel, gauges, and the radio.

- there are silver around the door panel, chrome around shift knob

- the backseat has two (large) fixed head rest

- the c-pillar inside has some sculptured look

so far this sebering looks good so far. Maybe next week i'll draw of how is chrysler will look like.

[Bimmer325]

Great catch carstar!

Congratulations on taking some of the highest-quality shots of the new Sebring thus far.

[Variance]

Thanks for the shots and welcome to C&G.

[MGZ06]

Great shots! Welcome to the board. . . stick around!

[Cory Wolfe]

Good photos... You could probably make money off them.

The interior isn't all that bad looking. Other than the steering wheel, that is. The rest... it's still too hard to tell.

[pow]

Interesting... I'm getting quite a Renault vibe from the grille, C-pillar, and overall proportions. The dashboard reminds me of some cheap Mercedes or something.

[ocnblu]

Nice catch, carstar. This thing may shape up OK after all. I'm still suspicious of the ribbed hood though.

[Croc]

Nice catch, carstar.  This thing may shape up OK after all.  I'm still suspicious of the ribbed hood though.

I wouldn't worry too much it should be good...the Sebring is one of Chrysler's best models as far as attainability goes...the convertible is something they HAVE TO GET RIGHT. They will. I have confidence in DCX...

[NOS2006]

You too, Croc?

I can't wait to see this design.. I have a feeling it'll be very spirited.

[Guest Josh]

Excellent catch CarStar & thanks for sharing! All the way out in Cali huh? Interesting.

[Flybrian]

Carstar's been on the site for 14 hours and already made the front page.

Thanks for the photos and welcome to the site!

[Charger4U]

LOL, lucky carstar, lol

[jbartley]

what was the concept a while back? Airflite or something?

[jbartley]

is this a malibu competitor? or is it more impala sized?

[Lance Truthhammer]

Can't tell for sure but it seems like the grille design borrows a bit from Cadillac (which isn't to say that Cadillac invented the style).

I am looking forward to seeing it without the camo.

- E.S. Mail

[Guest Josh]

Can't tell for sure but it seems like the grille design borrows a bit from Cadillac (which isn't to say that Cadillac invented the style). 

I am looking forward to seeing it without the camo.

- E.S. Mail

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought the same about the grille. Seems very Art & Science.

[I hope GMRULES again]

A Caddy from the front and a lot like a Altima/Maxima from the side.

[Variance]

I'm thinking G35...

[carstar]

what was the concept a while back? Airflite or something?

bingo! yes the ariflite!

although there is four pics i've got a chance to look at the car for about a min. During that time i got a chance to look at the back seating area ,i actually stick my head inside (just a little) the the interior because the windows were rolled down, and looked closely at the head lamps/ grill.

[carstar]

is this a malibu competitor? or is it more impala sized?

this is more of a malibu competitor

[Cadillacfan]

Welcome to the site Carstar and thanks for the great pics. It looks like Chrysler is definitely not using the 300c design theme on this one and going for a more elegant, wrap-around headlight design that is reminiscent of the Chrysler concepts from the 90s.

[Petra]

Looks sort of like a miniature Mercedes CLS to me:

I also noted that the interior, while having a beautiful, intriguing layout, is saddled with the same Rubbermaid steering wheel that the Caliber uses. A pity.

[Northstar]

The interior looks rather block and flat, like most Chrysler interiors these days. I can't tell much about the exterior, but the grill and front end looks interesting.

Thanks for the pics, carstar, and welcome to C&G!

[MyerShift]

Most excellent! It seems as though there is a possibility of this being good-looking.

As for the title on the main page, hey, we support the American brands, yes? I don't think there's too much to fear. Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, GM is returning to greatness. It just takes a little time. The Titanic wasn't built in a day, and if it had proper guidance, it wouldn't have sank.

Thanks for the pictures!

[ocnblu]

I am not a fan of oversized headlights. Can't really tell if these are gargantuan, but they do appear to wrap around the fenders.

I love the 300, and hope that magic can be brought down in size here.

[Flybrian]

I love the 300, and hope that magic can be brought down in size here.

By 'magic' I hope you mean 'flair for style,' because the 300 box o' cues shouldn't be replicated on a smaller scale.

[ocnblu]

Oh yeah, I wasn't hoping for a mini-300. Something with as much American attitude would be nice though. I have a fear this car will be a bit too art-deco in style, like the Crossfire. That would tend to make it hard to do a midcycle refresh, imo.

I like the fact that the 300 doesn't have generic anything. Wraparound, bloopy headlights have become a generic trait, imo.

Edited February 11, 2006 by ocnblu

[Flybrian]

I like the fact that the 300 doesn't have generic anything.  Wraparound, bloopy headlights have become a generic trait, imo.

IMO, the 300 is a mixed bag. Peep the generally unadorned rear comapared to the front, especially the taillamps. To me, the design relies too much on the waffle grille and low greenhouse because nothing else about the car sticks out except its total blockiness and somewhat stunted trunk.

The market is overflooded with these things and I see way too many of them to even be mildly appreciative anymore. They're like square Camries in my eyes, especially since 3/5 I see around here are rentals or wannabe 2.7ls that look like this...

...replete with blank grille insets, afterthought amber reflectors, plastic trim, plastic mirrors, and plastic wheel covers.

[ocnblu]

...All of which contribute to a low starting price. One reason they're popular. I'd like to see Chrysler offer a few more vibrant colors on the 300... like a stronger green than the washed-out Jadestone. A nice bright blue with an aftertint of green would be nice. A dark burgundy metallic, or even a non-metallic tan would contrast nicely with the chrome trim. Dark brown and taupe 2 tone leather interior would look great with a nice, non-metallic tan color on a 300C with chrome wheels.

[Flybrian]

They do need more colors. The colors now are limited to a select few that really look good and bring out the decent looks of the highline models.

Regarding the starting price, last time I checked Chrysler > Dodge...was this information not communicated during the merger? I to this day will not comprehend why Chrysler insists on - forgive the pun - charging less for the Charger with more equipment (stability control!!) and a better engine (3.5l vs. 2.7!!) than it does for a Chrysler with less. What shocks me more are people aside from Dollar who buy that 190hp 300 when there's a Charger across town that's more well-equipped for less.

Even you have to admit...that grille ain't that nice.

[ocnblu]

The 3.5L Charger SE is a stong value, to be sure. I too am perplexed. In the old sheme of things, the base 300 is like a Newport and the 300C is like a New Yorker. They need something over the 300C (that looks good, not hideous like the Imperial concept).

[BrewSwillis]

They do need more colors. The colors now are limited to a select few that really look good and bring out the decent looks of the highline models.

Regarding the starting price, last time I checked Chrysler > Dodge...was this information not communicated during the merger? I to this day will not comprehend why Chrysler insists on - forgive the pun - charging less for the Charger with more equipment (stability control!!) and a better engine (3.5l vs. 2.7!!) than it does for a Chrysler with less. What shocks me more are people aside from Dollar who buy that 190hp 300 when there's a Charger across town that's more well-equipped for less.

Even you have to admit...that grille ain't that nice.

I think it's simply because the 300 is more desireable. I'm sure Chrysler makes money selling the Charger SE's, but they make that much more money selling 2.7L base 300's. Some people buy the 300 simply for the looks. I bought one (3.5L) for the looks and the mechanicals. Why lower the price or add features to your hottest selling vehicles? They already added the 5 speed tranny to the Touring and Limited. They can drop the 2.7L when sales cool off, and make the 3.5L the base......and then add the new 4.0L for the mid levels.

[enzl]

While I completely agree that the base 300's have some awkward moments (especially in certain colors), I have trouble coming up with many competitors whose base models are especially strong lookers.

Just the RWD proportions of all of the LX's help their stance, IMO.

[MyerShift]

They do need more colors. The colors now are limited to a select few that really look good and bring out the decent looks of the highline models.

Regarding the starting price, last time I checked Chrysler > Dodge...was this information not communicated during the merger? I to this day will not comprehend why Chrysler insists on - forgive the pun - charging less for the Charger with more equipment (stability control!!) and a better engine (3.5l vs. 2.7!!) than it does for a Chrysler with less. What shocks me more are people aside from Dollar who buy that 190hp 300 when there's a Charger across town that's more well-equipped for less.

Even you have to admit...that grille ain't that nice.

Think about it! It's part of brand identity. Like, you could get a fully loaded V6-powered new Volkswagen Passat for the price of the Audi A4 2.0T. Chrysler seems to be making an effort more so now than ever at attempting to differentiate the brands. Chrysler wants its name to be more high-class, worthy of a higher price, and if you can afford it, then you could afford the extra equipment too. It's all the brand. Example? BMW 1-Series

[titan]

is this a malibu competitor? or is it more impala sized?

Malibu. The Impala supposedly competes with the Sebring's big brother; the 300.

[g2sebring]

Also for some reason, i can see the ribs in the hood, but also, if you look towards the middle of the hood it looks like it has 18 holes in the camo, which may mean it has an indented hood scoop or something like that.

[Chicagoland]

The Chevy Impala goes against Dodge Charger, not Chrysler 300 series.

The '2007 Sebring' is for those that wanted a FWD LH car replacement.

Some wonder why there is base and other 300's, instead of just the Hemi?

Well, these days, with marketing costs so high. They cannot afford to have "Newport, New Yorker, 300, Imperial'. Just like Chevy doesn't have 'Biscayne, BelAir, Impala, Caprice'.

Now it's trim designation letter/names to one name of the line.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

Welcome to the site Carstar and thanks for the pics! I hope this is a Touring trim-because Chrysler sure doesn't need any base models if they ever want to move upscale.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Yep, I can really see bits and pieces of the Airflite in this one.

Pretty cool concept. I don't think it would bad if some of that concept's magic is found in the new Sebring.

[BrewSwillis]

Welcome to the site Carstar and thanks for the pics! I hope this is a Touring trim-because Chrysler sure doesn't need any base models if they ever want to move upscale.

There's no way a Touring model would ever have wheel covers. Every vehicle needs a base model. If you have more then one level of options, then the lowest level is the base model.

[NeonLX]

The big slabs of molded plastic inside make me think this might be some kind of mule, with a Chrysler exterior and the Dodge interior. Dodge has really gone down the route of blocky, hard plastic interiors. I looked at a new Magnum recently and was dismayed at how uninviting the interior looks. Well, at least it's comfortable but all those square kilometers of molded plastic really turn me off.

I'm hoping the Chrysler version will have nicer trim, hopefully including chrome and wood.

[Intrepidation]

In response to what Petra said before about the Sebring using the same steering wheel as the Caliber...I'm not sure if that's necessarily true. Look at these two spyshots from TCC's site. The first one is an older photo, whereas the second one is more recent.

If you look at the first one, the Sebring does indeed have the same steering wheel as the Caliber, but the newer one more closely resembles the 300's (though it looks smaller and thicker). Also note the the newer photo's guage cluster is a little different, it looks better than the older one's. Anyway, I really like how the interior looks so far, it's a lot more creative than the 300's, I hope the offer it in more colors than gray though (like black and tan or something). It's lightyears better than the ugly interior of the current Sebring. Also I hope the Dodge interior is as creative and differentiated (m oreso than the Charger/Magnum's). As for the exterior, I like how the Crossfire's design cues seem to be incorperated into it. Gotta wait for the final verdict until the camo comes off, but so far so good.

[Intrepidation]

Oh, by the way I'm new to the forums

[Petra]

Good catch there, Dodgefan!

Perhaps the Caliber steering wheel will only appear on base models?

[caddycruiser]

Good catch there, Dodgefan!

Perhaps the Caliber steering wheel will only appear on base models? 

Wouldn't think so...Chrysler generally doesn't offer different steering wheels across the same model.

[Intrepidation]

Maybe the early prototype was using the Caliber's wheel as a stopgap until a finalized wheel design was finished. If you look at the newer wheel design, it doesn't look done either, as there's no detail work on it (like how the 300's spokes have metallic inserts), plus the color of the wheel doesn't quite match the steering column.

[JT64]

Interior is very attractive!

and those are nice wheel covers!

The only other nice wheel cover I see around is the Nissan Altima's.

Steel wheels cost $50, and they don't get damaged if you scrape a curb.

They're good for people who don't buy cars for disposable performance, such as something like a BMW 5 series all aluminum one-use disposable car...

Edited April 27, 2006 by JT64