THE CHRYSLER Cor- poration. has a history of surprising skeptics by- pull- ing a rabbit out of a hat . just when ‘the magic seems _ to be fading. For years, Chrysler has lacked a “popular mid-sized family sedan to compete with the likes of the Ford Taurus and- Honda Accord. The Dodge Spicit/Plymouth Acclaim and Eagle Premier, while very good cars, haven’t captured the imagination of the buying public. Enter the new generation of Chrysler mid-sized sedans, the Chrysler intrepid, Chrysler Con- corde, and Eagle Vision. Stylish, roomy, well-equipped and utterly Chrysler Intrepid Chrysler does not offer a fold- down rear seat to increase cargo area. The exterior styling is pleasing from just about any angle. A combination of low, swoopy nose, contemporary, the so-called LII cars may very well be Chrysler’s next hat trick. Chrysler began with a ‘‘cab- forward’’ design, a contemporary styling trend characterized by a windshield set well forwards on the body, wheels positioned towards the car’s extremities, and a low, sloping hood and high tail. Combine this with a 2,870 mm wheelbase, and you have the larg- est passenger cabin in the mid- sized sedan class. Rear passengers, in particular, will notice generous leg room, shov'der room and head rcom, even with the front seats pushed all the way back. The cab-forward design also aliows for a large trunk area (473 litres in the Intrepid), though Photos submitted steeply raked windshield, and rounded, flowing proportions is contemporary without being tren- dy. Note that there is virtually no chrome trim, a surprising styling trait for a Chrysler. Along with the exciting exterior styling, the Intrepid offers truly extraordinary handling for a mid-sized sedan. A fully indepen- dent suspension system (front MacPherson struts/coil springs and rear multi-link/coil springs) gives the Intrepid surprising agility and balance for a big car. Under the short, sloping hood is a standard 153-horsepower 3.3- litre V6 engine mounted Icngitudinally (north-south) rather than transversely, the popular ori- entation. Chrysler’s arrangement provides fewer engine vibrations in the passenger compartment, greater structural rigidity in a col- lison, and a tighter turning circle. An optional overhead cam 214-horsepower 3.5-litre V6 engine is available for increased performance. Though this engine five- or four-Joor sedan Layout longitudinal front offers better acceleration, I found it slightly noisier and harsher than the ‘traditional overhead valve 3.3-litre V6 engine. Though it’s big, the Intrepid is comparatively light (1,459 kg) and doesn’t require a bigger engine to get the job done. A four-cylinder engine is not available. The only transmission offered is a four-speed automatic which performed flawlessly during my test drive. The interior’s modern appear- ance and quality finish is a far cry from Chrysler sedans of the '70s and °80s. Both driver and passen- ger airbags are standard equip- ment, a first for a family sedan. The Intrepid’s unusual but at- tractive black-on-white round in- struments and user-friendly in- strumentation are well designed. The air conditioning system uses an environmentally friendly freon-free refrigerant. Front bucket seats and a central console are standard equipment, but a three-person split front bench seat is available as an op- tion. Unfortunately, a protruding dash pod hinders legroom for the centre passenger. The rear bench is available with an integrated child seat, similar to 2 Torque 177 ibs-ft @ 2,000 rpm Transmission 4-speed automatic Tires P205/70 RtS all-season radials just 21, 1992 — North Shore News - 29 Greg Wiiseon . % TEST DRIVE | the ones introduced in the Dodge Caravan. The rear bench seat does not have headrests, however. The intrepid, Intrepid ES, Con- corde, Vision ESi, and Vision TSi are impressive cars, priced com-. petitively in the $18,000 to $26,000 price range. Intrepid and Vision will be in dealerships by Novemeber 1st while the Con- corde’s debut is expected by January, 1993. Height 1,430 mm/56.3 in. Trunk space 473 1/16.7 cu. ft. Warranty Complete 3 yrs/ 60,000 kms or 1 yr/20,000 km, Powertrain 7 yr/115,000 km engine/front-wneel drive Engine 3.3-litre OHV V6, se- quential multi-port fuel injec- tion Horsepower 153 @ 5,300 rpm THE 1993 Chrysler Intrepid is one of three new Chrysler mid- sized sedans to be introduced this fall. The Intrepiu, Concorde and Vision offer standard dual airbags, a choice of two V& engines, European handiing, and the mest interior room in their Curb weight 1,459 kg/3217 Ibs Wheelbase 2,070 mm/113.0 in. Length 5123 mm/201.7 in. Width 1,889 mm/74.4 in. The Chrysler Intrepid | is. available at Jubilee Plymouth Chrysler, 1177 Marine Drive, North Vancouver.