Chrysler Sebring: История Модели и Поколения

The Chrysler Sebring ('/s//iː//b//r//ɪ//ŋ/ SEEbring) is a line of mid size automobiles that was sold from 1995 through 2010 by Chrysler. Three generations of convertibles, two generations of sedans, and two generations of coupes were produced. Although the coupe shared the same name and some styling cues, it was mechanically unrelated to the other Sebring models. The Sebring line was introduced in 1995 with the Chrysler Sebring coupe. It was the replacement for the Chrysler LeBaron coupe. In 1996 the convertible was introduced, replacing its LeBaron counterpart as well. For 2001, both body styles were redesigned and a sedan version was offered, replacing the Chrysler Cirrus. The coupe was discontinued after 2005 with no replacement model planned. The redesigned sedan was introduced for 2007, and a convertible the following year. New options included all wheel drive on sedans and an available retractable metal top for the convertible. All Sebring models were replaced by the Chrysler 200 for the 2011 model year. TOC

The Chrysler Sebring was introduced as a coupe for 1995, and as a convertible in 1996, both models replacing the Chrysler LeBaron convertible and coupe. The convertible was built off the Chrysler JA platform also used for the Cirrus sedan, while the coupe was based on the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Chrysler Sebring was named after Sebring, Florida, the site of the renowned endurance car race called the 12 Hours of Sebring. The name was first used by Chrysler Corporation's Plymouth division trim line of the Satellite mid size coupe of the 1970s.

For 2001, the Sebring Convertible was restyled. It now closely resembled the sedan, and continued to be built on the same platform as the sedan. Many interior and exterior components were carried over from the first generation car. The Sebring received minor styling revisions (mostly the appearance of the front end) for the 2004 model year.

A redesigned Sebring Coupe was introduced for the 2001 model year, based on the third generation Mitsubishi Eclipse. Like the previous generation, the coupe shared very little in common with the sedan or the convertible, other than the name and a few exterior styling cues to help market all three vehicles together as one model. The Sebring Coupe received a minor facelift for 2003, and was discontinued after the 2005 model year. The Sebring Coupe was only sold in Canada for the 2001 model year.

Chrysler also manufactured export versions of the 2001 2006 Sebring sedan and convertible for the mainland European market. Front and rear lights are to European standards, different from the USA & Canada in that turn signal indicators are orange, with additional side turn repeaters on the front fenders. The rear bumper has a larger recess for the longer European size license plates, and two rear fog lamps are fitted; one on each side of the license plate. The LHD headlamps incorporate Euro type H4 bulbs, together with three way up and down beam level adjustment via a dash mounted switch to the left of the steering wheel. Emissions controls are to the EURO 3 standard; later versions are compliant with EURO 4. Engine ranges offered were the 2.0 L DOHC 16V inline 4 cylinder (later replaced by the 2.4L unit in some countries), and the 2.7 L DOHC 24V 6 cylinder unit. The 2.0 and 2.4L engines are available with the 5 speed manual or four speed 41TE auto transmission (depending on the country); the six cylinder engine is automatic only. The Canadian market 240 km/h 160 mph speedometer (with km/h predominant) is fitted to the European models. The odometer and trip meter are in kilometers. As the 2001 2006 Sebring sedan and convertible were made in left hand drive only, they were not sold in the UK and Ireland. Chrysler UK did, however, import 50 convertibles with the 2.7 L engine in 2001/2002, and these were sold through selected dealers. Being non standard in Chrysler's UK range at the time though, no more were imported. Trim levels offered in Europe were LE (equivalent to North American market LX) and LX (equivalent to North American market LXi). From 2004, Touring and Limited versions started to replace the LE and LX designations respectively. The lack of a diesel engine and right hand drive availability prevented this Sebring from being a true pan European model unlike other Chryslers such as the Chrysler 300M, PT Cruiser, and Voyager. In addition, the model was dropped from Chrysler's lineup in some countries, notably France, before production ended in 2006. In France, the three domestic car makers Peugeot, Citroen, and Renault dominate the new car market, which meant very low sales of the Sebring there. As a result, the sedan was only imported by Chrysler France in 2001 and 2002. The 2003 and facelifted 2004–2006 year models were not. The convertible was only sold until 2004. The 2005 and 2006 models were likewise not imported. Despite not being available in the UK and Ireland, some Sebring convertibles have been brought in from the U. S. as grey imports. Some Euro spec models have also been privately imported, mostly from Germany. The European versions are easier to re register in the UK as they have EU type approval. The dual km/h mph speedo display and twin rear foglights mean only headlamp beam aim adjustment for left hand traffic is necessary. The sedan is much rarer in the UK though; a few EU models have been imported, but most are likely from North America as grey imports.

In 2006, the license, tooling, and assembly line for the second generation Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Stratus sedan was sold to Russian firm GAZ for about US$151 million (€ 124 million). After some minor modifications the vehicle was renamed the Volga Siber. It went into production in March 2008 at the Gorky Automobile Plant in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. However, due to the Great Recession sales were not as expected and production ended in 2010 after 9,000 examples were built.

For the 2008 model year, the Sebring convertible was redesigned with hood strakes recalling the Chrysler Crossfire. The new convertible body style debuted at the 2007 Los Angeles International Auto Show as an early 2008 model. It was the second bestselling four place open top cars in the United States, trailing only the Ford Mustang convertible. The new convertible offered both a retractable hardtop and soft tops, with the Sebring's roofs manufactured by Karmann. A vinyl top came on the base LX model, a cloth roof on the Touring and Limited models with the option of a retractable metal top. The convertible top retracts into the trunk with a power tonneau cover and a luggage protector for the top. The top can also be retracted with the remote keyless entry, meaning the top can be stowed without being inside the car or starting the engine. The LX model included a new 2.4 L I4 engine, the Touring version came with a retuned version of the 2.7 L V6, while the Limited featured a new 3.5 L V6. Unlike the Sebring sedan, the convertible was not available in all wheel drive.

Production of the Chrysler Sebring sedan for the China market began in 2007 at the Beijing Benz DaimlerChrysler Automotive Co. (BBDC) in Beijing. BBDC is a joint venture between the Beijing Automotive Industry Holding and Chrysler. Production of the Sebring leveraged assembly capacity for the new BBDC plant which also built the Chrysler 300C, the Mercedes Benz E Class, and Mitsubishi Outlander. Four cylinder World Engines for the Sebring were built at the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) plant in Dundee, Michigan for export to China. GEMA began as a joint venture of Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai. Since 2009, GEMA is wholly owned by Chrysler.

Chrysler introduced this generation Sebring in the European markets (including right hand drive markets) as their first competitor in the D segment. It received a generally unfavorable reception from European motoring journalists.

The Chrysler Sebring was extensively refreshed in 2010, but was rebadged as the Chrysler 200. The JS platform and bodyshell had been retained, but there were extensive cosmetic and powertrain changes to the vehicle. The name change helped distance the vehicle from the Sebring's reputation for quality issues and fleet pervasiveness.