AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Supplier sources familiar with the product cycle plans at Chrysler tell Inside Line that the automaker is "trying to move investment up" in the effort to improve the Sebring, Avenger and Sebring Convertible even earlier than originally planned.

Look for interiors on those three key vehicles to be redone in time for the 2010 model year or shortly thereafter. "The interiors are too cheap," said one highly placed industry source. "We call it 'the Sebring problem.' That vehicle is dying on the vine and it's only a year old. They got cheap on everybody and said 'the customer doesn't mind hard plastic and ugly grain [in the cabin]."

Sources said Chrysler is moving resources away from other vehicles to fix the Sebring, Avenger and Sebring Convertible, which originally were scheduled for a redesign in 2011 or later.

In the meantime, a major revision, inside and out, is on tap for the big Chrysler 300 sedan in the 2011 model year.

With new owner Cerberus accounting for every penny, there apparently is mounting concern about the future of the Dodge Viper. Sources say Chrysler is prepared to "make an instantaneous decision" to discontinue the Viper, especially if it "no longer can deliver the desired halo effect."

What this means to you: Chrysler continues to rethink its product portfolio on what appears to be a daily basis. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

 

A redesign can't come soon enough for that Sebring sedan with its aborted Saturn Ion-wannabe design. Whoever signed off on that design should have been fired immediately with extreme prejudice for foisting that ungodly atrocity on the motoring public.

 

IMHO, the Sebring was a beautiful car that someone botched severely. I would look on the outside before the inside that thing is vapid. It used to be the best looking convertible on the market, I thought...I mean it competed in looks to the MB's and I like their convertibles.

 

The Sebring just needs to be completely done over again. They should look to the 300M for interior and exterior inspiration since their recent attempts to be original in any besides the LX related cars has been a disaster. Better a little warmed over styling than styling that turns people off. The Sebring should reach not only for the mid-sized car market but for the FWD market that felt disappointed by Chrysler's departure of the large FWD sedans. The Sebring's interior shouldn't be as complex as it has become. A simple, clean look using soft materials like found in the 300M and Pacifica with mild touches of tortoiseshell and wood grain would do the Sebring.

The Avenger needs the softer materials as well as a trunk with sufficient room. The 4-speeds need to disappear as does the 2.7L. The 3.5L should have the EGG H.O. found in the LX cars as well as the SRT-4 engine or the 4.0L found in the SEMA models.

The Viper needs a new direction. They need to try to make them more affordable by producing more of them. They should offer an automatic version as an option. They should also offer higher performance versions than just the standard output (how about a supercharged or Twin Turbo version to go head to head against the Ferraris)? An optional AWD would also be a good idea.