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New For 2011

One of the biggest surprises of the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit was a concept car that won struggling Chrysler a lot of buzz: the 200C. Chrysler showed off the car as a Chevy Volt-fighter. Like the Volt, Chrysler said the 200C would be an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV). That means the 200C would function as an electric car until its batteries were depleted to a pre-set level (after about 40 miles of driving, according to Chrysler), after which a gasoline engine would ignite and serve as a generator to recharge the batteries. Since most Americans drive less than 40 miles in the average day, owning a 200C would be like owning an electric car -- except when you needed to travel farther, at which point it could use gasoline to extend its range as far as you needed it to go.

At this point, the 200C is just a concept car -- a design study intended to suggest something that the automaker might decide to build, but not necessarily a prototype of a production car. The concept car on the floor at the Detroit show looked surprisingly production-ready -- but similar efforts appear on the auto show circuit and then disappear forever every year.

What the Auto Press Says

The first reaction of most automotive writers who saw the 200C wasn't to push for technical details. Their first reaction was to pick up their jaws from the floor. Most of them thought the thing was gorgeous.

Once reporters got over the look and started asking for specs, they didn't get many solid answers. Details on the car are scarce.

If Chrysler were to build it, it would most likely replace two of the most disappointing midsize cars ever built -- the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger -- which have lurked at the bottom of our rankings since they first appeared. A few media outlets speculate that the 200C is actually the replacement for the aging 300, but we find it unlikely that Chrysler would give the 300's replacement a name that makes it sound smaller -- most likely, this is a new midsize car and the 300, if it survives to another generation, will keep its name.

Most analysts, however, aren't sure Chrysler will be around to build this car.

• "Based on a shortened version of the rear-drive Chrysler 300C full-sized sedan, the mid-sized 200C EV is a performance sedan that blends the style, performance and amenities sought by car enthusiasts and environmentally conscious consumers alike." -- AutoWeek
•  "It is unlikely that Chrysler could beat Toyota and G.M. to market with an extended-range electric car. But gasoline or hybrid powertrains could also be installed in the 200C." - New York Times
• "Chrysler has unveiled a surprise new member to the ENVI lineup in Detroit. It's called the Chrysler 200C EV Concept and it's surprisingly good-looking." -- Jalopnik
•  "Yes, the most beleaguered of the Big Three might be in all sorts of financial trouble, but that hasn't stopped Chrysler unveiling a seriously handsome concept." - Top Gear
• "The 200C is a clear, formal, aspirationally modern design with clarity of lines and direction; the proportions are harmonious; it looks great from every angle... for all the chin music about electricity -- which I complete endorse, by the way -- the transcendent truth of automobiles is that people buy beautiful cars. I predict the 200C will be available in two years with a variety of gas-burning engines in it -- and yes, probably a Hemi." -- Los Angeles Times
• "The big question is: When will we ever see this - or any sedan based on this concept - outside of an auto show?" -- Autoblog Green

Key Details 

The 200C is built on a shortened version of the platform that undergirds the large Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, so the concept car is rear-wheel drive. But modifying it to front- or all-wheel drive would not be difficult.

Chrysler representatives have claimed that the 200C will be able to travel from zero to sixty in about seven seconds, and will have a top speed of about 120 mph and a range of over 400 miles -- but the company hasn't even decided what drivetrain will ultimately power the car.

If the car does come to market as an E-REV, it will probably use the same battery system Chrysler has used in other electric concept cars -- a unique hybrid that combines a lithium-ion battery, for quick power and instant torque, with a sodium-sulfur battery for cruising. The gasoline engine that recharges those batteries will probably be turbocharged and around 1.0 liters in size.

But the car may come to market with a more conventional engine. Chrysler's "Phoenix Project" is reportedly working to develop a more efficient V6 engine that could fit easily under this hood.

Inside, the show car is a rolling display of all of Chrysler's high-tech ideas. The uconnect in-car computer and communications device will link remotely to any Bluetooth-enabled phone, allowing drivers to program the temperature and entertainment settings using the phone. Users can even view an in-car camera remotely and track the car's location live via GPS using the phone.

Those who wish to actually use their car to control their car will find that the entire console of the 200C is one huge touchscreen -- a photoelectric film built into the material of the console itself enables it to project images and accept driver feedback. A tablet PC that folds out where a conventional car has its glovebox gives users another option to control the car's settings.

Using any of those devices, parents can limit the car's performance when their teenager is driving.

And if you believe any of those futuristic concept-car gadgets will reach production in this car, we've got a federal bailout to sell you.

Which raises, of course, the final caution: The 200C is a beautiful concept that is far from finished, offered up by a company on government-sponsored life support that may not survive to see Spring. This car may be attractive. It may also be far too late to matter.