Vehicle Overview The LHS is a luxury spinoff of the Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid sedans that rides the same front-drive chassis and carries different styling touches and a more powerful engine.
Chrysler also sells the sportier 300M, which is based on the same design but 10 inches shorter than the LHS and exported to other countries. The LHS sells only in North America. The LHS and 300M arrived as 1999 models, a year after the current Concorde and Intrepid.
Exterior Though the LHS borrows the Concorde’s styling, it has a unique front appearance highlighted by a taller, narrower grille and four projector style headlamps. It also uses Chrysler’s trademark cab-forward design in which the wheels are pushed out to the ends of the car, leaving little overhang.
Standard 17-inch tires and cast-aluminum wheels give the LHS a bigger footprint than the Concorde, which has 16-inch tires and wheels. Chrome wheels and a power sunroof are optional.
Interior As with the similar Concorde, Chrysler’s cab-forward design and a 113-inch wheelbase allow for a roomy passenger compartment, wide doors and a spacious trunk. A small pass-through doorway to the trunk allows carrying long objects such as skis. Heated front bucket seats and leather and vinyl upholstery are standard; a front bench seat and cloth are not available.
The only major interior option is an Infinity sound system with new four-disc, in-dash CD changer.
Under the Hood A 253-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic transmission comprise the LHS’s lone powertrain. The 300M and new Intrepid R/T use the same engine, which gets up to a gallop quickly and gives these cars satisfying passing power. A standard low-speed traction-control system helps get the power to slippery pavement.
