Sedan, coupe or convertible, the Chrysler Sebring comes with sleek, good looks, a smooth ride, and comfortable accommodations. It's practical, with room for five. It offers value when measured against the imports. Responsive performance makes V6-powered models more enjoyable to drive, but the base four-cylinder engine is quite competent.
The sedan is comfortable and practical with a pleasant, airy cabin. The convertible combines a roomy interior and attractive pricing with style and top-down motoring. The sporty coupe offers an optional V6 engine.
For 2003, the coupe gets new exterior styling and interior trim.
Chrysler Sebring models are available in four-door sedan, two-door coupe, and two-door convertible body styles. Four-cylinder and V6 engines are available and there's a choice of trim levels. Sedans come standard with a four-speed automatic transmission. Coupes offer a choice of automatic or five-speed manual transmission for either engine. Convertibles come standard with an automatic, though the GTC convertible offers a manual.
LX models come with a twin-cam 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 150 horsepower. LX trim levels come standard with air conditioning, a cloth interior, and power windows, mirrors and door locks. Steel wheels with painted wheel covers and 15-inch tires are standard. Chrysler's 2.7-liter V6, which generates 200 horsepower, is available as an option for the LX ($1085).
LXi models come standard with the 200-hp V6, 16- or 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, eight-way power driver's seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a premium sound system with CD player, a trip computer, cruise control, remote illuminated keyless entry, fog lights, bright exhaust tips, and a higher level of interior convenience features. Convertible LXi models get a cloth-coated top and leather seats. A new Sebring GTC convertible model was added late last year that comes with the V6, a sports suspension, and a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Optional safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes ($565) and side-curtain airbags ($390). An Enthusiast Group ($400) adds Chrysler's Autostick transmission, a sports suspension, firm-feel power steering, and an electroluminescent instrument cluster. A selection of options allows the buyer to add some of the LXi features to the LX model or further enhance the LXi, including a power sunroof ($695).
Sleek, attractive designs enhance the Sebring sedan, coupe, and convertible. While all three look like they belong to the same family, distinctions give each its own personality. Sedan, convertible and coupe each present a gracefully arched profile with a dramatically raked windshield.
New styling gives the Chrysler Sebring coupe a fresh appearance for 2003. Appropriately enough, the coupe looks more aggressive than the sedan and convertible. A new hood and trunk lid design add to the bold looks of the coupe. A new grille features the Chrysler winged badge, complemented with a new fog lamp design. For 2003, Chrysler redesigned the coupe's front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and side sill moldings.
The coupe shares little in common with the sedan and convertible. It is built in a joint-venture assembly plant in Illinois alongside the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Dodge Stratus coupes, and shares their engines, chassis, and suspension designs. The Sebring sedan and convertible share components and roll out of a Chrysler assembly plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Sedans and convertibles feature a broad, stubby nose highlighted by Chrysler's signature grille design, a big, oval intake inset with a shaded egg-crate grille pattern. Headlamps, shielded by polycarbonate lenses, wrap around the front corners, while available round fog lights flank the grille. Blackened center roof pillars on the four-door sedan give it the look of a two-door coupe. The roofline flows in a smooth transition from roof to body. The decklid incorporates a spoiler lip arched over large taillamps and thick monotone bumper.
