The Super Bowl is in the history books, and by now reporters at ESPN and NFL Network have discussed every minute detail of the game. For those who spend money-and I mean a LOT of money to advertise during the Super Bowl, the stakes are enormous. Expectations are sky high, the challenge is great. You need to grab the viewer, hold his attention, and, most important-make him remember what the product is, while competing for this urge to a) Go to the bathroom, b) Grab a drink, c) Grab some food, or d) All of the above.
Come Monday morning, a clear victor emerged (to me at least). Chrysler ran a full two-minute commercial titled “Born of Fire” featuring movie-quality scenes of Detroit, and a narrator telling the viewer, essentially, what hasn’t killed Detroit, or Chrysler, only makes them stronger. Night falls, cue Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, with said Eminem driving the streets of Detroit in the new Chrysler 200. “That’s nice” you might think, but how does that make Chrysler the victor, when Audi and VW ran interesting ads as well? Simple. According to CNN, ‘Chrysler 200 ‘was the top search on Google Monday morning.
The Power of Advertising indeed. But that isn’t half the story. You see, the Chrysler 200 is a revised Sebring, which many agree was a dog of a car, and a rolling symbol of everything that was wrong with Chrysler. So, renaming the car was practically mandatory. Even here at The Garage, we weren’t feeling the love, as the Sebring’s close sibling, the Dodge Avenger, was named Worst Car of the Year in 2009. Yet in a two minute commercial in front of what was to be the most watched TV program in the history of US television, the Chrysler 200 was the top search on Google the next morning.
So, Chrysler got the response it wanted-buzz. Can the revised car live up the the hype? Here at The Garage, we will soon see, as the new Dodge Avenger is due to arrive in my driveway in a couple weeks. Oh, the the commercial, in case you hadn’t seen it!
2011 Chrysler 200 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Goodbye, Sebring, thanks for the memories... sort of. Sadly, most of the recollections we can muster that include Chrysler's mid-size sedan aren't ones we're particularly fond of - at least not when thinking of the nameplate's current generation, which debuted in 2007 to a chorus of boos amongst the motoring press and limp sales directly thereafter. Why? Taking lackluster driving dynamics and a disappointing interior out of the equation, the biggest problem with the Sebring has been that it's widely considered to be one of the least attractive sedans on the road.
And so it's with eager anticipation that we look forward to the introduction of the Chrysler 200 for 2011. The Pentastar brand has just pulled the covers (mostly) off its thoroughly updated family sedan, and for the most part, we like what we see, though admittedly it's a long way off from the more adventuresome 200C concept car that wowed Detroit Auto Show goers in 2009. There may be a few nits that need picking, however, starting with what seems to be a completely carryover greenhouse. Also, the fact that a four-speed automatic gearbox is still available on some models is a disappointment (though it's likely just for rental car-spec models), and we've yet to see the full interior.
We know there are a lot more specifics yet to be revealed, but the question that most needs answering today is whether or not you, dear readers, think that Chrysler has done enough with the 200 to differentiate it from the unloved Sebring. Take a moment to scroll back through the photos (click here if you want a quick refresher on the 2010 Sebring), then be sure to take part in our completely unscientific poll below. Finally, feel free to have your say in our 'Comments' section below.
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For Episode #196 of the Autoblog Podcast, recently departed Autoblogger Jonny Lieberman joins us from his perch atop the ivory Motor Trend tower. In between recounting stories from the land of the Buff Books, Chris, Dan and Jonny talk over some of this week's news, including the Lotus Elite, the final Ford Ranger in North America, the BMW 6 Series concept and a truckload of new Chrysler information about the 200C, the Challenger, transmissions, and more. We finish up with some of your feedback near the epic two-hour mark. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #196 - With Jonny Lieberman from Motor Trend
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