Press Kit: What's New for '09

Whether it is the groundbreaking, bold design of the Chrysler 300, the sleek, elegant styling of a Sebring Convertible, “family room on wheels” functionality of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan, or the sophistication of the new Chrysler Aspen HEMI® Hybrid, Chrysler brand vehicles reward the passion, creativity and sense of accomplishment of its owners.

“The Chrysler brand delivers provocative, eye-catching designs engineered for passionate living,” said John Plecha, Director – Chrysler Marketing and Global Communications, Chrysler LLC. “Our owners tend to be expressive, creative and vibrant and seek a vehicle that rewards their independence. Through American design and ingenuity, Chrysler has historically strived to deliver premium vehicles that exceed the aspirations and needs of our customers, all at a great value.”

To Chrysler owners, their vehicles make a personal statement. The Chrysler brand offers a full range of elegant vehicles for all stages of customers’ lives. Whether they are spending time at museums, plays, concerts, entertainment venues or prefer spending quality time with their families, Chrysler vehicles are designed to meet a broad range of customer needs.

The defining face of Chrysler vehicles feature a winged Chrysler badge, distinctive grille, and sculpted hood. Beyond these signature elements, each Chrysler vehicle is stunning, innovative and alluring in a unique way.

New for 2009, the Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid is the ultimate combination of efficient power, utility and beauty. Providing a unique option to customers who need the cargo and towing capability of a sport-utility vehicle (SUV), but who want a more efficient alternative, the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid increases fuel efficiency by more than 25 percent overall, and is up to 40 percent more fuel efficient in the city. The 2009 Chrysler Aspen offers sophisticated styling, luxurious amenities, performance and capability – plus a great value compared to other premium SUVs. An all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine is available this year on the 2009 Chrysler Aspen, offering better fuel economy, improved idle quality and overall refinement, along with more horsepower and torque and Chrysler’s fuel-saving Multi-displacement System (MDS).

Twenty-five years after it first invented the modern minivan, Chrysler continues to raise the bar and perfect its award-winning formula. The 2009 Town & Country adds two all-new minivan-first safety features to the more than 30 safety features available already. The Chrysler Town & Country is the first minivan to feature the Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path advance safety systems as well as SmartBeam® headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. These new features add to the more than 35 new or improved features – including the exclusive Swivel ’n Go™ seating – introduced in the 2008 Town & Country. The industry-exclusive Stow ’n Go® seating and storage system, first introduced in the 2005 MY, is the only minivan seat system to offer both second- and third-row seats that fold into the floor. With its sense of style, refinement and class-leading functionality, the Chrysler Town & Country remains the perfect vehicle for the modern-day family.

The Chrysler 300, the sedan that marked the return of the great American car and rear-wheel-drive technology when first introduced, offers improved fuel economy in 2009. In addition to its stunning design, refined interior, premium communication and entertainment features and numerous standard safety and security features, the 2009 all-wheel-drive Chrysler 300 models are now equipped with an Active Transfer Case and Front-axle Disconnect improving fuel economy by enabling the vehicle to switch between two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The 2009 Chrysler 300C rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models both feature the all-new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, upgraded to get an estimated five percent fuel economy improvement. The Chrysler 300 continues to stand apart from the crowd, offering customers an elegant, confidence-inspiring, powerful vehicle at an exceptional value.

The Chrysler 300C SRT8® delivers performance, amenities and outstanding value that no other sedan provides. Powered by the Street and Racing Technology-engineered, 425-horsepower, 6.1-liter HEMI V-8, the Chrysler 300C SRT8 boasts performance-tuned ride and handling, world-class braking and premium appointments.

The 2009 Chrysler Sebring sedan combines stunning design with interior craftsmanship, high levels of safety and reliability, exhilarating performance and excellent fuel efficiency, all at a surprisingly affordable price. In addition to many class-leading technologies, the 2009 Chrysler Sebring also offers a combination of standard safety features not typically found in the mid-size car segment.

The Chrysler Sebring Convertible has long held the honor of America’s favorite convertible, solidly leading the segment for the past decade. The 2009 Sebring Convertible offers a sleek and elegant design, exhilarating performance with excellent fuel efficiency and a spacious interior. The Sebring Convertible offers two automatically latching convertible top options: cloth and a body-color painted steel hardtop, both of which can be retracted with the touch of a button on the key fob.

The Chrysler Sebring sedan and Chrysler Sebring Convertible both achieve 28 miles per gallon (mpg) highway fuel economy and have been certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay® program, which recognizes the cleanest, most efficient vehicles sold in the United States. SmartWay certification is based on achieving high standards in both air pollution and greenhouse gas (fuel economy) emissions.

Additionally, the Chrysler Sebring sedan and Sebring Convertible both offer uconnect phone utilizing Bluetooth® technology, standard on some models and optional on others. A new feature for 2009, the hands-free system automatically downloads up to 1,000 phone book entries from supported phones.

The 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser continues to be “too-cool-to-categorize,” commanding attention around the world. The PT Cruiser leads the segment in style, versatility, quality and performance with its one-of-a-kind exterior styling, versatile interior packaging and proven quality. A classic that lends itself to personalization, Chrysler has kept the PT Cruiser fresh and exciting with more than 12 variations of the vehicle since its introduction. With a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder DOHC four-speed automatic engine, the PT Cruiser achieves approximately 26 mpg on the highway and has also been certified by the EPA’s SmartWay program for fuel economy and efficiency.