SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
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First posted: January 6, 2008
“Typical Yank tank,” said the Durban-based journalist from whom I took over the Chrysler Sebring test car last Sunday, “wallows like a boat and gutless.” Perhaps he was testing me; to see whether I would leave the car parked, write the report straight from the press kit and perpetuate the stereotypical description he had given me.
After living with the car for a week, through rain and shine and being really rather rough with it, I am obliged to disagree in certain respects. Looks-wise yes, it is American – almost as ugly as its cousins the Dodge Caliber and the PT Cruiser, in fact. On the other hand, if the world of motoring offered only European and Oriental styling, it would be dull indeed, so the Sebring offers an interesting alternative. Inside, there was lots of grey and silver plastic trim to go with the slate and light grey upholstery in the Stone White car tested. For customers raised on a diet of dark coloured interiors, this is either a culture shock or welcome relief – different strokes for different folks.
The boot is American-big; enough room for Louie the Lip and some cement overshoes if you feel he deserves them. As for the rest, come aboard and find out with me…
The Sebring is Chrysler’s offering in the competitive mid-size car market, built on their JS platform and powered initially by the 2,4 litre GEMA I4 engine which develops 125 kW at 6000 rpm and 220 Nm at 4400 rpm, driven through a four-speed automatic transmission. The acronym GEMA stands for Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, a joint effort between Chrysler, Hyundai and Mitsubishi, producing engines of 1,8l, 2,0l and 2,4 litre capacities. Each manufacturer will configure its engines slightly differently, so buyers can expect power, fuel efficiency and character differences between the various offerings. In all, these engines will power some 20 different models.
Expected soon as an alternative in the two SA Sebring models, Touring and Limited, is the company’s 2,7 litre EER V6, but no mention has been made of any possibility of their 3,5 litre EGJ V6 reaching us in the near future.
Size-wise, the Sebring offers decent shoulder, head and legroom. It’s big enough that Mom, Dad and three teenagers should be able to travel in relative peace, without elbows in ribs or feelings of being cramped, as usually happens when too many people cram themselves into a typical econobox, for example.
Equipment-wise, expect all the usual mod cons like ABS with brake assist, ESP, automatic air conditioning, tyre pressure monitoring and the ubiquitous bottle- and cup holders. The front cup holder, between the driver and passenger, offers the fussy Sebring-ite a choice of heated or cooled liquid refreshment, by the way. Just press the relevant tab above the unit. The standard sound system is a very nice Boston Acoustics setup, but on the upper crust “Limited” version, a Harmon Kardon “MyGig” integrated sound and navigation system with MP3 and DVD compatibility and digital image downloading and viewing capability should be available about now.
American motor manufacturers went through a period of severe union issues and quality problems for a number of years, eventually losing their grip on the top three positions as market leaders. What is not so well documented, however, is that the US ‘Big 3’ went on quality- and efficiency drives about 10 years ago, to drag themselves back into contention. The result is that, with a few exceptions, the quality and cost effectiveness of American production rivals the best the world has to offer today.
The Sebring is a good example. It features many advanced steel technologies that reduce weight and unwanted noise while also creating a safe, solid and stiff structure that provides excellent impact performance, a smooth ride and solid handling. Add an impressive list of standard features, the new engine that delivers acceptable performance with fuel economy better than most in its class (it actually beats the Mini Cooper convertible CVT by a small margin, according to Car magazine), a competitive price and you have something well worth considering.
To test Chrysler’s claims of “a smooth ride and solid handling,” I switched off the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and took it out on some interesting dirt roads in the Midlands. While no speed limits were harmed during this exercise, the limits of common sense were challenged on a few occasions.
Is it stable? Very. Does it wallow like a boat? Definitely not. If I were a Midlands farmer with a medium-sized family, would I consider the Sebring as my daily runner when I didn’t need to use the pickup? Definitely yes.
My only real criticism of the Sebring is that the engine could use a bit more grunt. Don’t get me wrong – it does its job very well, but out on the freeway when reserves may be called for, the top gear roll-on from 120 km/h upward could be better. This is not unusual. Almost without exception, manufacturers roll out new models with engines just a touch underpowered, so that when customers demand a little more, it can be delivered.
Bring on the V6 motors, Chrysler, I’m waiting!
Test unit from Daimler-Chrysler SA press fleet
The numbers
Engine: 2,4-litre inline transverse four cylinder, driving front wheels
Gears: Four-speed automatic
Power: 125 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 220 Nm at 4400 rpm
Car magazine figures:
0 – 100 km/h in 10,7 seconds
Top speed 199 km/h
Fuel consumption index 9,6 l/100 km
Load capacity 360 – 1048 cu. dm.
Prices:
Touring R219 900
Limited R239 900
With 3 year/100 000km warranty and maintenance plan
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8