IndyStar.com's view

With Chrysler Corp.’s sporty outlook these days, it’s fitting to couple the name of a well-known Florida sports-car course with that of a new Chrysler sports coupe.

Hence the new 1995 Chrysler Sebring that brings an upscale compact coupe to the Chrysler lineup.

The Sebring is a kissing cousin to the Dodge Avenger in that both share a modified Mitsubishi Galant platform and are built at Mitsubishi’s Diamond-Star plant in Normal, Ill. The Sebring isn’t a carbon copy of the Avenger, but does its own thing by being more upstream and having some minor differences in specifications.

While using the same 103.7-inch wheelbase as the Avenger, the Sebring is fractionally longer, wider and more plush.

The coupe was designed to represent the leading edge of roominess, quality of ride and amenities generally associated with larger luxury cars. A product of the design studios at the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Mich., it’s just beginning to arrive at Indianapolis Chrysler dealers.

“They began to trickle in toward the middle of February,” said Kevin O’Brien, president of Tom O’Brien Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep-Eagle. “The supply is picking up, so we’ll have some in inventory.”

The car has been styled around an aerodynamic theme designed to create minimum air drag. This does more than just make the Sebring look like a racy automobile.

The aerodynamics reduce noise from air turbulence flowing over the body at speed. And lowering the drag increases fuel mileage, which is pretty good for both Chrysler’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine or Mitsubishi’s 2.5-liter V6.

However, Paul Wilbur, Chrysler’s Sebring product planning chief, says, “The car is pure Chrysler.”

The challenge facing the styling team was to simplify the forms and shapes of the coupe, but not go so far as to turn away the luxury buyer. The emphasis was to develop an overall sculpture while maximizing the package for rear-seat passengers and luggage.

Exterior styling follows the low frontal area and steeply raked windshield theme of Chrysler’s cabin- forward design for its sedans. Yet the overall height of 53 inches provides 39.1 inches of front-seat headroom and 36.5 inches in the rear.

The Sebring is still a compact coupe, so there’s considerably more legroom in front than in back, something on the order of 43.3 inches versus 35 inches. Little people are going to be more comfortable in the rear of this four- passenger car than linebackers.

Upscale motorists are offered LX and LXi models.

Standard features abound, with air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, a tilt steering column, full instrumentation and dual air bags. The center console adds class with an expected armrest storage compartment, hidden trays, cup holders and the like.

The console holds the shift lever for either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic.

In LXi form, the model comes only with the V6 and an automatic, plus standard power accessories, an upscale stereo system, illumina ted visor mirrors and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Functionally, an LXi includes 16-inch tires and aluminum wheels, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, dual exhausts and a remote keyless entry system with a security alarm.

Seating appointments on the Sebring line also are upstream, with leather seats an option (for the LXi) and two-way headrests trimmed in cloth. The driver’s seat offers a manual memory recliner feature that automatically returns the seatback to a desired position. In the rear, the locking seatback splits and folds and features molded integral headrests.

I wouldn’t say the coupe is going to be in the rocketship class, especially when powered by Chrysler’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but it’s apt to hold a few surprises.

The engine goes the double-overhead-cam, four-valves-per-cylinder route, and virtually is a full 2.0 liters (1,996 c.c./121.8 cubic inches). At a quite respectable 140 horsepower, that’s well above the performance benchmark of one h orsepower per cub ic inch.

With a five-speed onboard and in the hands of an experienced driver, the Sebring won’t exactly be at the back of the pack when the light goes green.

In 2.5-liter (152-cubic-inch) V6 form, there’s a little more to play with. However, an LXi with an automatic is going to be more of a ladies’ or gentleman’s sports coupe rather than the hammer-down variety.

The V6 is rated at 155 horsepower and is the same motor used in the Chrysler Cirrus. Featuring 24 valves and a single overhead cam, it’s a smooth, easy- running powerplant that befits a luxury coupe.

Chrysler has priced the LX at an entry-level mid-$15,000 range and put the LXi right at the edge of the luxury class with a base of $19,029. However, it has a good deal more standard equipment than an LX.

“I believe we’ll sell quite a few more LX models than LXis,” O’Brien said. “At an entry-level price, the LX is bound to be more popular. By the time you add leather and some other options to an LXi, you’re going to be over $20,000.”

1995 Chrysler Sebring Base price: $15,434Type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, four-passenger compact sports coupeEngine: 2.0 liters, DOHC 4, 16 valves, fuel-injected, 140 horsepower, 130 foot-pounds of torqueTransmission: Five-speed manualMileage: 22 mpg city; 32 mpg highwayWheelbase: 103.7 inchesLength: 187.4 inchesWidth: 69.7 inchesHeight: 53.0 inchesCurb weight: 2,888 poundsOptions: Premium stereo system, CD player, automatic transmission, power accessory group, cruise control, tilt steering column, vanity mirrors, security alarm system