Detroit 2009: Chrysler 200C Concept, what the Sebring should have been [w/VIDEO]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Chrysler, LLC.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Chrysler 200C Concept

We were beginning to worry that the 300C was all Ralph Gilles had in him. But if the Chrysler 200C Concept is what Chrysler's styling star can bring to the hitherto dull banquet of Chrysler design, then he should have been placed in charge long ago. It is absolutely gorgeous - check out those wheels - and to our eyes, at least, this is what the straked nonsense known as the Sebring should have been (or at least, what it could have looked like).

A range-extended four-passenger sedan, the car is about the size of a BMW 5-Series. A rear-wheel-driver powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that includes a "small gasoline engine" - Chrysler didn't say how small - aided by a lithium-ion batteries and an electric generator putting out 55kW (74 horsepower) of continuous power. The system's combined forces are good for 200 kW (268 hp) of peak power. The car can go 40 miles on electric power alone (a number that sounds rather familiar), and has an estimated range of up to 400 miles. The 200C is not a slowpoke, either, with a predicted 7-second blast to sixty, and a top speed north of 120.

Inside, the 200C Concept is crammed with enough tech to guide a starfleet. The interactive dashboard is infinitely changeable, internet enabled (via Chrysler's uConnect), and tied into security cameras and street cameras when you want to see how long the line is out front of the Delta Terminal at Detroit Metro. Even better, you can control everything from the integrated tablet PC in the glovebox or from an iPhone-like controller - even roll down the windows and check on the status of the car. And the technology leaf for the passenger also gets a huge shoutout. You can read all about it in the minutely thorough press releases after the jump, and the live presser video is also available. Also, check out the galleries of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Chrysler 200C Concept

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Chrysler 200C EV

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Chrysler 200C Concept, what the Sebring should have been [w/VIDEO]

Detroit 2009: Chrysler 200C Concept, what the Sebring should have been [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Higher Performance Hybrid From Infiniti Coming

Possible Infiniti G35 Hybrid

After two years of using Toyota techology in a hybrid version of the Altima, Nissan is developing prototypes entirely on its own that signal their impending entrance into hybrid competition with the big boys.  Finding previously untapped Hybrid consumers is a bit of a challenge for automakers, but Nissan is hoping to attract customers by offering a luxury rear-wheel-drive hybrid.

The first is a new hybrid system that will be introduced on a rear-wheel-drive Infiniti from their G class of cars.  It employs a parallel hybrid system with one electric motor and two clutches that allows the gas engine and electric motor to power the vehicle at the same time.  When accelerating, Nissan’s new hybrid uses both the gas engine and the electric motor, so both clutches are engaged. That’s the first of the system’s four operating modes.  At low speeds, the electric motor does all the work.  At higher city and highway cruising speeds, the gas engine engages and both clutches are engaged with the rear clutch directing power from the electric motor back into the battery pack to help replenish its juice.  The fourth mode is when the car is braking.  At that point the gas engine and front clutch shut down, and the heat from braking the rear wheels generates electricity that is redirected through the rear clutch and into the battery pack.

Nissan’s new hybrid will be one of the first to use lithium-ion rather than nickel-metal hydride batteries. (Assuming Hyundai doesn’t beat them to the punch with the new Hybrid Sonata)  These batteries are smaller and more efficient than previous generations of hybrid batteries.  The hybrid will otherwise use existing gas-electric technology, only with a more powerful V-6 engine.   Remember the Accord Hybrid?  This would appear to be another attempt to add hybrid technology for the sake of performance and not mpg. 

Specific details are limited, but Nissan says that the system is more powerful than a standard 306-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, but not as powerful as Nissan’s 390-hp 5.0-liter V8.  An estimate for 0-60 times should be in the 5 and 1/2 second range.  As far as fuel economy, speculations are that 24 mpg in the city and almost 34 mpg on the highway are attainable with this system in a G35 sedan-size vehicle.

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The 2010 Lincoln MKT: We Don’t Hate It…

2010 Lincoln MKT

On Friday, Ford gave the official green light for production of the 2010 Lincoln MKT, Ford Motor Company’s luxury crossover vehicle. Developed under the codename “D472″, the Lincoln MKT was originally introduced in January at the 2008 North American International Auto Show as a Ford Taurus/Lincoln MKS/Volvo S80 inspired concept vehicle. In the fall of 2009, the Lincoln MKT vision will become a reality when 2010 models hit dealer floors.

In the midst of several rapid, major changes within its parent company, the Lincoln MKT is rumored to represent Ford’s commitment to revamping and re-marketing their Lincoln and Mercury lines. No longer in direct competition with Cadillac, the Lincoln MKT is intended to stand up next to similar luxury vehicles like the Acura MDX and the Audi Q7. Featuring the trademark Continental grill, the most notable of the new Lincoln MKT’s features is its V6 EcoBoost engine whose fuel efficient technology is expected to result in a 15% higher average mpg rating. The V6 EcoBoost, which engineered to run on either regular gasoline or E85 ethanol, boasts an impressive 415-hp and 400lb-ft of torque - working out to about 118 hp-per-liter. Offered with a 6-sp automatic transmission with select-shift AWD, the Lincoln MKT is intended to provide the perfect combination between “the comfort of a luxury sedan, the spaciousness and flexibility of a full-size utility and the performance of a sporty roadster.”

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