. epee ie sty RIGHT OUT of the box, and fresh off the line, Chrysler has introduced a stylish competitor to established sedans like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. ‘By Greg Wilson Contributing Writer The new V6-powered, front- wheel-drive Cirrus four-door sedan is (another) all new vehicle from Chrysler. The automaker has had a string of surprises for the motoring public with new and innovative vehicles like the Neon, Intrepid, and Ram pickup. The oldest cars in Chrysler’s lineup are now the Intrepid/Concorde/Vision triplets, introduced just two years ago. - The Cirrus, and its lower-priced Dodge equivalent, the Stratus, are timed squarely at imports. They're not the stodgy, conservative cars Chrysler used to be known for — both are thoroughly modern in the sense that they offer performance and practicality in one neat pack- age. The automaker hopes their- _ Sporty. nature will appeal to Accord, » Camry. Maxima, 626, Sonata and | "Passat owners. | : The Cirrus, which starts at $22,115, comes asa well-equipped. V6-powered sports-sedan, as Chrysler calls it, Standard equip- ment includes a 162 horsepower 2,5-litre V6 engine, a four-speed automatic transmission, air-condi- tioning, dual airbags, ABS brakes and a host of power-operated con- veniences. Two trim levels are available: LX and UXi. The Cirrus’ styling stretches contemporary design themes to their limits. The nose is low and short -- in fact the hood is wider than it is long -—~ and the passenger cabin is positioned well-forward, and the rear deck is very high. My only quibble is that the pro- truding grille looks odd. From a practical point of view, the Cirrus’ modern styling his its drawbacks. The driver cannot see the front or rear of the car from the cockpit — making parking manoeuvres a bit of a guessing game. The interior is modem, tasteful and attractive with pleasant oval shapes, larger-than-usual, white-on- black instruments, chromed door handles, artificial woodgrain trim on the console and doors, and an attractive plastic finish to the dash. The Cirrus’ Mitsubishi-built 2.5- live V6 engine has single overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank and four valves per cylinder. like many of j its import competitors. onny 992 cern “New ‘& near new ‘94 SATURNS “SAVE E IG NOI This engine is quiet and smooth most of the time and has a very high redline, 6,000 np.m. For an all-new car, though, the Cirrus is a great effort. Its fit and finish may not be up te snuff when compared to its competition, but 's value-for-money and domestic origin should appeal to people looking for a worthy alternative to compact imports. Comparably equipped, the Cirrus is several thousand dollars less than many of the vehicles in its class. ‘ NEWS photo Cindy Guodman THE 1995 Chryster Cirrus is a front-whee!-drive, four-door, five- passenger sedan with a standard 2.5-litre V6 engine, four-speed automatic transmission, dual airbags and ABS brakes. Base price is $22,11 5. “THE NORTH “AMERICAN PRESS — 1995 CAR OF THE YEAR” This outstanding new automobile is now available for inspection and delivery. Nicely equipped, including 24 valve V6 engine, 4. speed automatic, air conditioning, power windows & locks and dual air bags, at only $21,872. Stop by today and see how much more you can get for your money. _ REGENCY CHRYSLER JEEP INC. 1177 Marine Drive, North Vancouver 980-8501 SEE THE NEW CIRRUS AT THE NORTH SHORE’S ONLY CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH STORE, _ REGERNCY CHRYSLER iERP, ON MARINE AT PEMBERTON. O.A.C. - _ AMORTIZED UP TO FIVE YEARS (60 MONTHS) WITH A ONE -YEAR TERM ON ALL NEW. 9-9 MON.-THURS. 9-6 FRI-SAT.