Chrysler News: Chrysler To Give 2014 200 A Short Run

[William Maley]

By William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

March 18, 2013

The current Chrysler 200 will have a short 2014 model year according to some internal documents.

Automotive News got their hands on the documents and report that production of the 2014 Chrysler 200 will start in July at Chrysler's Sterling Heights plant in Michigan and end in the second week of January. A bit surprising since production usually would run well through 2014. This has led everyone to think the next-generation 200 is just around the corner.

This is further substantiated by Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne saying the introduction of the new 200 would be delayed till early next year.

All we know about the next 200 is that it will be much more sleeker than the previous model, utilize the same platform as the Dodge Dart, and come with a nine-speed transmission.

As for the Dodge Avenger, the documents don't reveal any information.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[G. David Felt]

This should be interesting. Wonder how long before someone slips out the new images online.

[Drew Dowdell]

shame they couldn't do this in 2009.

[Blake Noble]

These were all design studies from a third-year transportation design student, but somehow I find them pretty interesting.

As for the new 200 being Dart-based, I'm actually hearing conflicting reports on that. Some reports point to it being CUSW-based, others point to it being based on a new rear-drive D-segment platform.

[Robert Hall]

RWD would be a nice market differentiator, and a smaller RWD platform has been rumored for the SRT Cuda if that happens.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[daves87rs]

Interesting....

[Blake Noble]

RWD would be a nice market differentiator, and a smaller RWD platform has been rumored for the SRT Cuda if that happens.

The information and subsequent rumorpile circulating around Chrysler's upcoming D-segment cars are both so horribly confusing it's honestly difficult to get a good grasp on what's going on.

From what I can discern, the likelihood of a few new rear-drive D-segment cars from Chrysler is quite good. After all, the upcoming Alfa Romeo Guilia is supposed to be rear-drive and that certainly opens up an opportunity for Chrysler to use it's platform for a new 200. From what I've heard, if the Guilia is rear-drive, the platform would share a few common hardpoints with CUSW (read: Dart) to keep costs low. Technically, this would make a theoretical next-generation 200 Dart-based even if it were rear-drive. The SRT Cuda may also use this platform, if it isn't just a rumor.

Edited March 20, 2013 by black-knight