Shore iews - 29 NEWS photos Cindy Goodman Chrysler New Yorker Luxury sedan make practical concessions for the 90s AS TIMES have changed, so have Chrysler’s luxury cars. Remember the big New Yorkers of the past? Stylish luxo-boats with a soft vide and a considerable thirst for gasoline? Well, the cur- rent New Yorker is still luxurious, but has made some practical con- temporary front-wheel-drive layout. A redesigned New Yorker is planned for 1994 and is, surpris- ingly, considerably bigger than the current model. It appears that luxury car buyers want both big- ger cars and good fuel economy, and it remains to be seen whether this compromise can be achieved 44 For the traditional American car buyer who wants something a little less cumbersome, the New Yorker, and its siblings, the Dynasty and New Yorker Fijth Avenue, are a good compromise. 99 cessions to fuel-efficiency and manoeuvreability. The mid-sized New Yorker of- fers a blend of traditional Ameri- can styling and luxury and a con- in light of stricter pollution stand- ards and more expensive gasoline. The current model’s charac- teristic wedge-shaped vertical rear window and high tail design con- Price as tested $25,985 Base price $24,500 Type four-door, six-passenget sedan Layout transverse front engine/front wheel drive Engine 3.3-litre OMV V6, se- quential multi port fuel injec- tion tinues for 1992; however, the sharp creases on the nose and trunklid have been softened con- siderably for a more contem- porary look. Attempts to mod- ernize an old design often look contrived, but this one looks quite attractive, in my opinion. The interior, though, is still fairly traditional. While most automobile manufacturers are moving to soft, rounded interior surfaces, the New Yorker has a rectangular dashboard with simu- lated stitching, plenty of chrome trim and lots of artificial wood veneer. The standard cloth/ velour-covered seats are soft to the touch, but not particularly supportive, For armchair comfort, the split front bench seat has two centre armrests and the rear bench seat has one pull-down ar- mrest. Though the New Yorker is not Horsepower 147 @ 4,800 rpm Torque 103 Ib ft @ 3,000 rpm Transmission four-speed automatic, (electronically-con- trolled) Tires P195/75 R14 all season radials w/ white sidewalls Curb weight 1,490 kg/3,286 Ibs Wheelbase 2,649 mm/104.3 in. Length 4,917 mm/193.6 in. Width 1,750 mm/68.9 in. Height 1,350 mm/53.5 in. a full-sized car, it is very roomy. The rather tail, angular cabin con- tributes to generous headroom and makes getting in and out eas- ier. The New Yorker will seat six people and has four lap and shoulder belts (front and rear outboard positions) and two lap belts in the middle seats. A driver’s side airbag, located in the hub of the steering wheel, is standard. The roomy feel of the interior is partly attributable to the absence of a console shifter, transmission hump or driveline hump. A transmission shift lever mounted on the steering column frees up space for the centre passenger’s legs. Fuel economy, while not fabu- lous, is not dismal, either. The New Yorker’s contemporary front-wheel-drive layout, lightweight unit body construction Trunk cu.ft. Fuel economy City 12.3 1/100 km (23 mpg); Hwy 8.5 1/100 km space 467 litres/16.5 Warranty Complete three yrs/ 60,000 km or one yr/20,000 km plus seven yr/!15,000 km Powertrain See the Chrysler New Yorker at Jubilee Plymouth Chrysler, 1177 Marine Dr., N. Van. Greg Wilson TEST DRIVE See Vehicle's page 34