Photo: Chrysler
The Chrysler 200 received a major refresh in 2014, but the car was not appreciated by everyone who came in contact with it.
After Consumer Reports reviewed the Chrysler 200 and didn't give it a full recommendation, Sergio Marchionne made an interesting interview with the guys at Automotive News.
The CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles acknowledged that the design team behind the 200 gave the car an inadequate rear entry point, and Marchionne puts the blame on the designers who decided to “copy a Hyundai, which has the same problem.”
The problem Marchionne speaks of is that the slope of the car’s roof is too steep and makes the entry to the rear seats difficult. Because of this mishap, the Chrysler 200 didn’t get the recommendation from Consumer Reports, the biggest independent review organization.
Marchionne went on to explain that Chrysler designers did not copy the Hyundai Sonata, but they just made the same entry point to the rear seat. This mistake brings difficulty in rear seat access, and that is important for a midsize sedan. Marchionne even called the designers “dummies,” and stated that “some people from design left some of their private parts on the table after the determination.”
According to Autoblog, FCA design boss Ralph Gilles admitted on Twitter that the design team went too far to get a good aerodynamic coefficient. While the idea worked and got the 200 the best aero coefficient in its class, the compromise brought an issue on the access to the rear seats of the car.
Since both attributes are imperative, especially in a midsize sedan, the Chrysler 200 didn’t get the valuable recommendation from Consumer Reports.
Chrysler launched the MY 2015 200 in 2014 and promised an “extraordinary driving experience and cool features.”
However, Sergio Marchionne believes that Chrysler has learned something from this mistake. Hopefully, it will not happen again in other models.
The CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles acknowledged that the design team behind the 200 gave the car an inadequate rear entry point, and Marchionne puts the blame on the designers who decided to “copy a Hyundai, which has the same problem.”
The problem Marchionne speaks of is that the slope of the car’s roof is too steep and makes the entry to the rear seats difficult. Because of this mishap, the Chrysler 200 didn’t get the recommendation from Consumer Reports, the biggest independent review organization.
Marchionne went on to explain that Chrysler designers did not copy the Hyundai Sonata, but they just made the same entry point to the rear seat. This mistake brings difficulty in rear seat access, and that is important for a midsize sedan. Marchionne even called the designers “dummies,” and stated that “some people from design left some of their private parts on the table after the determination.”
According to Autoblog, FCA design boss Ralph Gilles admitted on Twitter that the design team went too far to get a good aerodynamic coefficient. While the idea worked and got the 200 the best aero coefficient in its class, the compromise brought an issue on the access to the rear seats of the car.
Since both attributes are imperative, especially in a midsize sedan, the Chrysler 200 didn’t get the valuable recommendation from Consumer Reports.
Chrysler launched the MY 2015 200 in 2014 and promised an “extraordinary driving experience and cool features.”
However, Sergio Marchionne believes that Chrysler has learned something from this mistake. Hopefully, it will not happen again in other models.
Google News