Pentastar: performance and refinement
Chrysler’s new 3.6L Pentastar V6 is beginning to occupy many engine bays in Chrysler’s lineup, and there’s good reason for that. It’s a refined, responsive powerplant that has been declared one of Ward’s ten best.
In its 200 application, the Pentastar supplies 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque to the vehicle’s front wheels through the auspices of a 6-speed automatic transmission. That degree of brawn is enough to move the 200 with notable vigor and urgency. There’s an unfortunate side, though.
Torque steer will reveal its inconsiderate self when the 200 is launched with such verve. While not unmanageable, it’s nonetheless unpleasant. I hate torque steer and it hates me. With that agreement in place, I do my best not to poke the tiger in the eye. In the 200, that means being judicious about deep-throttle usage at lower speeds. With that proviso tabled, let’s get behind the wheel.
Smoother and more refined than expected
Having driven the Sebring in past years, it didn’t take much more than pulling out of the driveway to conclude that the 200 is a much smoother, more refined vehicle than was its predecessor, but that’s hardly a surprise.
With the ever-increasing quality level of today’s vehicles combined with enhanced value, Chrysler needed to pull a rabbit from the hat, and they pretty much did so with the 200. In convertible hardtop form and powered by Pentastar V6 power, this vehicle fits more in the premium category than one might think.
While exhibiting more “boulevard cruiser” delight than “track-inspired” exhilaration, the 200 Convertible is a sweet ride that can produce wonderful motoring memories when the skies are clear. When skies are less accommodating or when performing the daily grind, the 200 will coddle its occupants as warmly as a conventional hardtop vehicle.
There is a trade-off when the roof drops, though, and the deal is brokered with space as the commodity – trunk space to be precise. When the roof is retracted, it consumes a large portion of the otherwise generously sized trunk cavern. This “give and take” is typical of convertibles, and really is no worse in the 200’s case than in most other hardtop convertibles.
Chrysler’s new 3.6L Pentastar V6 is beginning to occupy many engine bays in Chrysler’s lineup, and there’s good reason for that. It’s a refined, responsive powerplant that has been declared one of Ward’s ten best.
In its 200 application, the Pentastar supplies 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque to the vehicle’s front wheels through the auspices of a 6-speed automatic transmission. That degree of brawn is enough to move the 200 with notable vigor and urgency. There’s an unfortunate side, though.
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| In its 200 application, the Pentastar supplies 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |
Torque steer will reveal its inconsiderate self when the 200 is launched with such verve. While not unmanageable, it’s nonetheless unpleasant. I hate torque steer and it hates me. With that agreement in place, I do my best not to poke the tiger in the eye. In the 200, that means being judicious about deep-throttle usage at lower speeds. With that proviso tabled, let’s get behind the wheel.
Smoother and more refined than expected
Having driven the Sebring in past years, it didn’t take much more than pulling out of the driveway to conclude that the 200 is a much smoother, more refined vehicle than was its predecessor, but that’s hardly a surprise.
With the ever-increasing quality level of today’s vehicles combined with enhanced value, Chrysler needed to pull a rabbit from the hat, and they pretty much did so with the 200. In convertible hardtop form and powered by Pentastar V6 power, this vehicle fits more in the premium category than one might think.
While exhibiting more “boulevard cruiser” delight than “track-inspired” exhilaration, the 200 Convertible is a sweet ride that can produce wonderful motoring memories when the skies are clear. When skies are less accommodating or when performing the daily grind, the 200 will coddle its occupants as warmly as a conventional hardtop vehicle.
There is a trade-off when the roof drops, though, and the deal is brokered with space as the commodity – trunk space to be precise. When the roof is retracted, it consumes a large portion of the otherwise generously sized trunk cavern. This “give and take” is typical of convertibles, and really is no worse in the 200’s case than in most other hardtop convertibles.
 |
| Convertible is a sweet ride that can produce wonderful motoring memories when the skies are clear. (Photo: Chrysler) |