Avenger -VS- Seabring

THE SEBRING IS NOT AN AVENGER?
More 1995/1996 Stuff
The Proper Stuff
Historical Note
1997 Sebring Changes

Well, we need to go through some hsitory:

The Avenger was MFGed/Introduced In the fall of 1994 (In the Illinois Plant, STILL Diamond-Star Motors), for the 1995 model year, replacing the Stealth. Most MFGs introduce their next years model, in the fall of the previous year. So the press/mold for the Avenger car already existed. Then, in APRIL of 1995 (Six months AFTER the Avenger), the Sebring was introduced, still as a 1995 model. Well, they're different in the back, so they used a different press above the unibody/frame. BOTH cars have the exact same undercarrage.

1995 Sebring Coupes were also built in Normal, Illinois. This assembly plant was once a joint venture between Mitsubishi Motors and Chrysler Corporation (Diamond Star Motors), but Mitsubishi purchased the remaining interest in the plant from Chrysler in 1995. So those Chrysler Sebrings are technically known as transplants, since they are now assembled under Mitsubishi management. So, it is not at all unlikely that your 1995 A/S may also have DMS tags, and as far as Chrysler is concerned, is a DSM product.

Now, why the Sebring is not an Avenger:
Now keep in mind that the Avenger was around slightly before the Sebring was. Sebrings look like an Avenger, with the different front / rear end, tail light confinguration, and side moldings, rear side window configuration. They do have the same hood, trunk lid, doors, almost the same headlamps, same engines & transmissions. After looking more slosely, and doing dome research, they are not the same.

The data below indicates the Sebring is not an Avenger (up to year 2000). We all know the new Sebring isn't now, because the Avenger was discontinued in 2000. The Convertible Sebring is no where near the Avenger or Sebring Coupe, and that is because it is built on the Cirrus/Stratus platform.

The tail light configuration is different, and are not as large and bulky as the Avenger's, and take up less space, so the Seabring's tail lights will not fit an avenger at all, and vise-versa. The rear of the Sebring is mostly BUMPER! The avenger has 4" of space between the bumper and the tail lights. This is why some of the rear portions of body kits made for the Avenger won't fit on the seabring. The Sebring (Galant based) was stamped with a completely different mold than the Avenger (Galant II based) was. You can use the Sebring's headlamps, and just about all front end parts on the Avenger. The Sebring headlamps are identicle except they are chrome on the inside, the Avengers' are black.

The Sebring rear passenger and driver windows conform down to a point, where as the Avenger's rear side windows are rounded, and the body structures also conform to each pattern. Further proof the molds are not exactly the same.

The Avenger is a Galant II, not sold in the USA as such. The SB and AV both look the same to the untrained eye, and Chrysler says they're "technically" not the same. If you were to place the empty SHELL of each car side-by-side, you would notice the small differences in a "find Waldo" kind of way.

Both the Avenger/Sebring share the same style as the Eclipse/Tallon, with a longer wheelbase. If you look at the interior of the same model year Eclipse (Oh, and Eagle Tallon), it's the same as the Avenger/Sebring interior. The Eclipse has a rear window wiper, and the extra switch for it. The AV/SB has the oval shaped outline of the switch, and you can install one for an Aux device there.

There was another Avenger concept for 2003, but never made it to production.

More Stuff from 1995 to 1996:
There were only a few changes in the Sebring for the model year 1996. The 1995 model year was short, since the car was introduced in April of 1995. The reason it had the 1995 model designation is that the Avenger had been introduced the previous fall, so dealers could not be selling 1995 Avengers alongside 1996 Sebrings. Legally, however, all Sebrings could have been called 1996 models.

Horsepower of the V6 was increased from 155 to 163 hp. There are no externally visible changes in the engines between the 1995 and 1996 models, and Chrysler has been reluctant to reveal where the horsepower boost came from. (In other engines, power boosts came from smoothing the air path). Either the same engine was simply re-rated (that can happen) or perhaps there were some changes in the electronics, or ECM, that controls fuel management.

Other changes were the garage door opener in the visor, CD player, and Paint colors.

The proper Stuff:
Chrysler Sebring Coupes are built in Normal, Illinois. This assembly plant was once a joint venture between Mitsubishi Motors and Chrysler Corporation (Diamond Star), but years ago, Mitsubishi purchased the remaining interest in the plant from Chrysler. So Chrysler Sebrings are technically known as transplants, since they are now assembled under Mitsubishi management.

The other cars produced in this plant are sold under a variety of names. The similar Dodge Avenger is also assembled in this plant. The other cars assembled in this plant now include the Mitsubishi Galant, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Eagle Talon.

The Sebring coupe owes a lot of its underpinnings to the Mitsubishi Galant, Eclipse and Talon. Basically, the Sebring coupe is an Eclipse with the wheelbase stretched to a total of 103 inches. This makes for a much larger back seat than the Eclipse/Talon have, with more leg room, and, in particular, head room in the back seat. The dash is basically shared with the Eclipse/Talon.

The engine options differ in that the high performance 2.0 i4 cylinder available on the Eclipse/Talon is not available on the Sebring, but, instead, a 2.5 liter V6 is available. The optional V6 (standard on the LXi) is built by Mitsubishi, and is based on the 3.0 engine (block) originally used by Chrysler as the V6 option in their mini-vans.

Interestingly enough, most of the road tests in the major car magazines indicate that the 4 cylinder accelerates a bit faster than the V6, due to the manual transmission, but the V6 has an edge in smoothness, and top end speed. (The 4 cylinder, but not the V-6, is available with a five-speed manual transmission, similar to the Stratus situation).

Sebrings differ from Avengers in a few small ways in addition to the cosmetic differences. For example, the spring rates in the Sebring are more nearly tuned to a smooth ride, whereas the Avenger is set up for a slightly stiffer, performance ride.

The Converible:
The Sebring convertible is built in Hermosillo, Mexico, in a plant supervised by Chrysler, and is not related to the coupe but to the Chrysler JA cars--the so called "cloud" cars (Stratus, Cirrus, and Breeze). The horsepower rate for these are also slightly higher than the Avenger/Seabring coupe models.

The 2000 Stratus LXi had the 2.5 V6, and has more power than the Avenger's V6. The drivetrain is identicle to the Avenger/Sebring, yet the Stratus 0-60 time is 10 seconds. The Stratus is lighter than the Avenger (for a four-door), and is rated at 168HP -vs- the Avenger 162. As of Septemebr 2003, I have a 2000 Stratus LXi, and find it more enjoyable to drive due to the better launch, and acceleration curv.

Brochure Errors pertaining to the Sebring Coupe:
The V6 engine illustrated on page 8 of the 1995 brochure is different from the one actually used in the car in that there is no container with a yellow cap and other differences. The V6 engine used in the 1995 and 1996 models is correctly illustrated on pg. 10 of the 1996 brochure.

The photo on page 15 illustrating the cargo net in the 1995 brochure shows a Dodge Avenger, not a Sebring! This photo has been corrected on pg.13 of the 1996 brochure.

Study carefully the Dark Green Metallic Sebring on pp. 20-21 of the 1995 brochure and compare that with the similar illustration of the Polo Green Pearl Coat illustrated on pp. 18-19 of the 1996 brochure, The illustrations are obviously the same photo, but magically the Polo Green has been lightened in the 1996 brochure.

Note the subtle interior changes between the 1995 and the 1996 brochures on pages 10 and 11 of the 1995 brochure versus the illustration on pages 8 and 9 of the 1996 brochure. The most obvious difference is that the 1995 car shows perforations in the leather, where as the 1996 does not.

Note also that the stereo dial has changed. This is probably correct in that the 1996 brochure illustrates the modifications made in the upgraded Infinity stereo. The shininess of the leather in the 1995 brochure appears to have been toned down in the 1996 illustration. There are other subtle changes in the dash button colors. All of this appears to have been done by retouching the original photo via computer.

A separate sales brochure is mailed out on request by dialing 1-800-4AChrysler. The 1995 version contained photos of the dark green model. A photo in this brochure shows a black ash tray cover (the one used in the Avenger) in the wood grained Sebring console. I have not seen this brochure for 1996, or determined if this error has been corrected.

Historical Note: New Orleans, Louisiana in early February, 1995, several weeks before the Sebring had been announced. Six Chrysler Sebrings were driven up to an underground parking area of a hotel. All of them were Deep green metallic, and, interestingly, all bore Louisiana manufacturer license plates. Why Louisiana was a great mystery? Apparently, the Sebrings were in New Orleans for a pre-show for dealers. The cars were clearly labeled as "Sebrings", and looked identical to the model that was introduced several weeks later, with one exception: the front "grille" was not like the one that was introduced with the horizontal bands, but rather had a "honeycomb" appearance (like some of their trucks). Apparently, the grille texture was a "last minute" pre-production change, based on dealer comments.

The 1997 Model

The October, 1996 issue of Automobile magazine was the first to provide any information on the details of the 1997 models

"For 1997, the Sebring gets revised front and rear styling and body side cladding. The LXi adds 17 inch wheels and tires and a handling package with a rear anti-roll bar."

The "non" grille has been the subject of debate in the auto magazines since the 1995 first came out. Some reviewers thought that it cheapened the appearance of an otherwise expensive looking car. It's been changed for 1997.

Some people have long complained that the sides of the car were overloaded with cladding. It's been pointed out its functional utility in preventing parking lot dings and scratches, but to no avail. Apparently, this has been modified somewhat for 1997, but the cladding has not been eliminated. Revising plastic cladding, front and rear fascia is far less expensive than redoing body metal.

1997 Exterior changes

The biggest news is the revised front and rear fascia. In fact, all of the plastic pieces below the belt line are changed somewhat. By far, the most controversial aspect of the new design is the new "grille." Larger and more prow shaped, the black area appears to have pleats similar to the 1995-1996 design. The grille is now integral with the lower fascia, instead of two separate pieces as in the 1995-96 design. The Chrysler 300 "cross hairs" design is gone. In its replacement is a Chrysler blue- ribbon logo with chrome wings that evoke Chrysler grille trim designs of the 30s and 40s. In fact, in looking over photos of the 1934 Chrysler Airflow and other Chryslers built prior to World War II, the new grille evokes images of a similar art deco design. Nouveau retro is in. I'm certain this wing design was used on Chryslers of that period. Both the grille and the winged emblem remain controversial. Air intake remains below the grill, but its shape has changed. Fog and parking lights appear similar to the 1995-96 design.