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Chrysler 200 Sedan May Get a Diesel Engine in the US

Current premium car market conditions may force the Fiat Chrysler Alliance to completely change the way it does its business. A new report suggests the brand-spanking-new Chrysler 200 sedan may receive a 2.2-liter oil burner quite soon. How agriculturally controversial!
2015 Chrysler 200 1 photo
Photo: Chrysler
The 2.2-liter matches up against one of the new engines Alfa Romeo is currently developing for their sedan. It's expected to have multiple available power outputs, ranging from 135 hp and 210 hp. But the way the diesel market works in America, only one flavor will be offered with the 200, most likely with somewhere over 150 hp.

We'll remind you that the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 is currently available with the 2.4-liter Tigershark making 184 hp and a 3.6-liter Pentrast V6 delivering 296 hp. The more economical of the two gets a respectable 36 mpg, but a diesel matched to a 9-speed ZF gearbox might go over 40 mpg.

According to Automotive News, the 2.2-liter diesel for the 200 sedan even has a cool name, "DeTomaso", just like that Italian automaker. But considering there might be trademark problems there, this could just be a white lie to disguise the true name.

Many German automakers have begun offering diesel engines in America. BMW offers the 328d with a 184 hp 2.0-liter engine, while Audi and VW use a 150 hp mill for the A3, Golf and Beetle. Mazda has delayed its diesel model launch because it says the lack of oomph will put off most buyers. Of course, there's also the fact that gas is only about $2 a gallon right now to consider.

The Chrysler Group sub-brands already offer some diesels in the US, a 3.0 V6 EcoDiesel under the bonnet of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV and also on the Ram ProMaster and the Ram truck range. Carryover models like the Dodge-based Fiat Freemont minivan also get a 2.2-liter diesel.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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