The 2015 Chrysler 200 is the brand’s first credible entry into the mid-size sedan segment in some time, taking a generous swipe at mainstream buyers with an American flavor, contemporary styling, and a sporting presentation.
Styling is a departure from the brand’s larger and more formal 300 sedan with a fastly raked roofline. There are some similarities in character to the Dodge Dart to which the Chrysler 200 is loosely related, but they have separated the two with entirely unique sheet-metal.
Headlamps on our tester were the optional HID units with LED daytime running lamps. The fog lights down below are also LED. Trims on the 200S are a glossy black from the grille to the window surrounds.
The rear view is handsome with dual exhaust tips fashioned into the lower valance, and the aluminum rear suspension arms are well visible. The dark finish on its 19-inch hyper-black alloy wheels contrasted well with the Billet Silver painted exterior.
Inside, the 200S gets a unique design from other 200 sedans. A blue highlight trim is found across the dash panel and door panels. Along with black chrome accents, the blue trim extends down the center console as well.
The leather sport seats which are both power adjustable up front, heated and ventilated also feature the blue theme with accent stitching in their hides. Leather also extends to the steering wheel which has a full compliment of controls and paddle shifters.
Speaking of shifters, you’ll note the absence of a shift lever here. The 200S gets Chrysler’s increasingly common dial knob on the console to select transmission gears. It’s easy enough to use but I honestly miss the traditional gear lever I habitually reach for.
Front and center is Chrysler’s Uconnect 8.4 center mounted infotainment touchscreen. It features multiple hard-wired as well as Bluetooth connectivity options, excellent audio quality, and just the right mix of hard controls for commonly used features, so you don’t always need to page though menus in the touchscreen.
Under the hood of the Chrysler 200S is a powerful 3.6 liter DOHC V6 engine which offers up a class topping 295 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It comes with Chrysler’s well-known segment exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission.
The engine surprisingly for its power runs on regular unleaded fuel with an EPA rated 19 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined rating. In our week with the Chrysler 200S, we achieved a healthy 28 mpg combined city and highway.
Suspension and chassis in specification are par for the class with MacPherson struts at the front, electronically assisted power steering and a multi-link rear suspension. Four-wheel disc brakes can be found at all corners and all-wheel drive is available as an option.
The 200S felt solid and quiet overall both around town and on highway stints. Built at a fully modernized assembly plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, the 200’s structure features generous use of high-strength steels.
This contributes to the 200’s IIHS Top Safety Pick + rating which comes by way of Good ratings on their battery of crash tests including the small-overlap test. The 200 is available with a superior level of crash-prevention systems which also contributes to the rating.
