Autoblog

There's been a spate of vehicles given the roofless treatment since 2003, which helped keep registrations of convertibles growing since then. 2007 saw the trend reverse, though, with registrations of droptops sliding by 8.6 percent, says R.L. Polk & Company. Polk's folks contend that while there's now plenty of selection with fancy retractable hardtops, the economic slide is putting downward pressure on some luxury items. While it might be difficult to describe the ghastly petrochemical disaster inside a Sebring as profligate, convertibles are not viewed by consumers as a sensible shoes purchase. Segment leaders such as the Mustang and Sebring still maintain their dominance, with the Mustang taking a 33 percent hit compared to 2006, while the Sebring actually found 2.7 percent more registrants. If you hate convertibles, this news doesn't matter to you. The upside is that as inventory ages on lots, deals get hotter.

[Source: Automotive News – sub req.]

Opinion seems to be split concerning the design of the Chrysler Sebring Covnertible, images of which we posted a couple nights ago. Those of you who have commented on the Sebring's chopped top either love it or hate it. That's an actual improvement over its four-door sedan counterpart, which so far has been almost universally panned on the web for its design.

Convertibles are generally more stylish than sedans, and the Sebring Convertible is no different. We'll admit our icy reaction to the sedan has thawed a bit thanks to the better looking drop top. Chrysler has posted this video on YouTube that allows us to see the three-piece hard top opening and closing, the actual depth of the trunk, and a walkaround of the car and it's interior that better shows off the vehicle's proportions.

[Source: YouTube via DaimlerChrysler}

Click image to enlarge

UPDATE: Added a video walkaround/top demonstration and Frank's live pics of the debut with Jennifer Love Hewitt after the jump.

In the immortal words of Paul Harvey, "And now, the rest of the story..."

A few hours ago, we gave you the first look at the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. The details we gave were for the UK version because, well, we couldn't talk about the North American car yet. But now we can. As was widely rumored, the new Sebring will be available with a choice of two soft tops (cloth or vinyl) or a retractable hardtop. The soft tops are a no-brainer because the Sebring's a warm-weather rental fleet staple. The new droptop's wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than the sedan's, and the car's length overall is increased by 3 inches. Like past versions, it's designed to comfortably seat four and carry a reasonable amount of stuff in the trunk. A "reasonable amount" here is equal to two golf bags with the roof stowed under its hard tonneau (another new feature). Raise it, and you can carry the clubs for a foursome.

The top operation is fully automatic, with no more need to undo any latches before you let the sun in. In addition, the top can be operated from the car's key fob. Inside, you're greeted by the same plastacular interior introduced in the sedan, but it should be noted that the lighter colors look worlds better (in pictures, anyway) than the gray interior on the Sebring sedan we drove recently. All the goodies you can get on the sedan, such as the heated/cooled cupholders and the MyGig entertainment system, are available here, too.

Motivation comes from either the 173 horsepower 2.4L four-cylinder World Engine, a n E85-capable189 horsepower 2.7L FFV V6, or the Limited's 3.5L V6 with 235 ponies. The two V6s get six-speed automatic transmissions, while the four-banger makes do with a 4- forward gears. We definitely like the look of the convertible over the sedan, and the addition of the retractable hardtop is a welcome development, as the Sebring truly becomes a four-season machine when so equipped. Overall, we count the Sebring convertible as a pleasant surprise. Stay tuned this week for more feedback from the gang we've got on the ground.

Check out the full photo gallery and Chrysler's extensive press release after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

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Here you have the first shot of the 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible, and thankfully, the car looks a whole lot better minus two doors and a roof. The release we have right now is for the UK model, which will only be available with a retractable hardtop. The Brits will get two engine choices: a 2.7L gasoline V6 with a six-speed and 189 horses, and a 2.0L diesel with a six-speed and 140 horsepower.

The convertible is three inches longer than the sedan, and even with the hard roof stowed, there's still room for the all-important pair of golf bags. With the roof raised, you can drop two more into the trunk. Stay tuned for much, much more info tonight or tomorrow as the full details of the US model are released. Will we get a choice of tops? What engines do we get to choose from? All should be known shortly. We'll update you as soon as we get the skinny

For now, be thankful that this Sebring is not the ugly duckling many of us feared it would be. As a convertible, it's a hell of a lot more stylish.

[Source: DaimlerChrysler UK]

Tim Beggs over at Planet Mopar dropped us a line saying that he caught the new Chrysler Sebring convertible out and about today. As seen here, the new droptop was still sporting its camo fore and aft, but now that we've seen the sedan, there's little mystery as to what's hidden underneath. The car Tim saw had its top down, and he snagged another photo showing the new interior that Tom LaSorda introduced us to back in June.

Styling has been a polarizing topic with the '07 Sebring, so we're interested to see how well it plays minus two doors and a roof. The undisguised areas show that the the car's looks will pretty much carry over from the sedan. The accent lines on the side panels are a worthwhile carryover and the wheels are identical to the ones we saw at the sedan's unveiling.

In his post, Tim notes the rumor that this new Sebring will be a retractable-hardtop C+C. If true, we're going to be very interested to see the packaging. The Sebring convertible, remember, was designed to be a true four-seater from the beginning (that's why it's as long as it is), and the outgoing model had decent trunkspace even with the top down. A retractable hardtop will presumably take up a lot more room back there, leaving less space for golf clubs and luggage.

All will be revealed in a few weeks. Until then, make sure you check out Planet Mopar to see Tim's photos and get his take on things.

[Source: Planet Mopar]

AutoExpress is reporting that Chrysler plans to unveil the coupe-cabrio version of its Sebring sedan at the Paris motor show next month. No word was given on whether Chrysler would be showing the soft-top version, hard-top or both, though. In Europe, the Sebring sedan and convertible will both be made available with Volkswagen's 136-bhp, 2.0-liter TDI engine to satisfy the diesel crazy European market.

AutoExpress also claims that Dodge's version of the Sebring, called the Avenger, will debut in Paris, as well. The Avenger, like all Dodge's, is meant to offer customters a sportier alternative to their Chrysler counterparts. We'll be in Paris next month to cover the open-top car's unveiling and see if the Dodge Avenger finally makes its first public appearance.

[Source: AutoExpress]

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible has been caught on camera during testing, and as AutoWeek points out the new drop top shows more massaged sheetmetal than its flat-sided sedan sibling due out as a 2007 model. The Sebring sedan is slated to receive a trifecta of powerplants including the 2.4L four-cylinder World Engine, a standard and flex-fuel version of the 2.7L V6 and a high power 3.5L V6. No word on what engines will be available with the convertible, but we suspect the 2.4L four and the 3.5L V6 are locks.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Last Thursday DaimlerChrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant ended production of the Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring sedan and convertible when an Inferno Red Dodge Stratus rolled off the line. Since 2,000 a total of 1,308,123 vehicles have been built, and the SHAP is currently being retooled to become a flexible manufacturing facility. The new operation will handle the production of the next Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring, the development of which Allpar has been chronicling extensively, as well as handle "cross-load" models from other plants, including the Dodge Caliber if it takes off and more production capacity is required.

[Source: Chrysler]