There were high hopes for Chrysler's latest offering, the Sebring, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring editor. But the end result failed to deliver.
Just 10 minutes behind the wheel of the Chrysler Sebring and we were banging our head off the steering wheel. So much hope, so much potential - once more dashed.
The story of this US car giant has been told a thousand times on the financial pages: a roller coaster ride that now sees the brand in the hands of private equity investors after an ill-fated merger with Mercedes-owner Daimler.
The Chrysler story is not for the faint-hearted. Unfortunately, the peaks and troughs of its financial performance have been reflected in the model range as well.
Strong competitors, such as the Voyager range of people carriers, won the brand approval in Europe, but shared their badge with the likes of the Neon, a car that made public transport seem an attractive option.
More recently, the company recorded great public acclaim with the 300C.
At last, it seemed Chrysler had identified a recipe for success: play upon US muscle car design but build it on quality European underpinnings.
The look was so mesmerising we were even able to forget some internal foibles, like an interior finish that didn't quite match some of the premium European rivals.
Was this the new dawn we had been promised for so long? Was Chrysler finally going to build on the positive image it had acquired from its time as a provider of premium people carriers?
No such luck. The new Sebring brings us back to reality with a bump.
Let's deal with the positives first. The new car looks quite smart, clearly attempting to hone in on the previous coupé heritage of the model in the US.
We're not particularly enamoured by the grooved bonnet out front, some form of design reference to the firm's two-seater Crossfire, another Chrysler that flattered to deceive.
Yet it stands out from the crowd in a market where the line-up looks increasingly modular and conservative.
Another strong point is the interior space. Americans like their cars to be roomy and the Sebring benefits in this regard, with a really spacious cabin. There's plenty of legroom front and back and eight-way adjustable electric front seats with lumbar support are a nice touch in a car at this price.
Pop open the boot and you could fit three sets of golf clubs in there without a second glance.
Certainly for €35,595 you get a lot of car and that's going to initially tempt many Irish buyers.
Scan down the specification list as well and you start to see the Sebring's appeal.
It certainly seems to give some premium rivals a run for their money in this regard. Heated leather seats, cruise control, air-con and LED lights are all standard, for example.
It's only when you pop the locks and settle down inside that the Sebring starts to lose its lustre. For a start, the leather is similar to the hide you get in flagship Korean models rather than anything you'd find in a European car.
The similarity with Korean counterparts doesn't end there: every panel is covered in hard and rather nasty plastics that makes its Asian rivals look positively plush.
American marques have long trailed behind European rivals in terms of interior finish, but the fact that they are now being overtaken by the cost-conscious Koreans would seem to symbolise the serious problems afoot for the one-time motoring icons.
In a desperate effort to turn the tide of sales in their home market, US car firms are playing the patriotic card, but loyalty to the Detroit workforce will only win them so many sales. Abroad, few - if any - buyers will be swayed to accept lower standards for the sake of US jobs.
While news reports concentrate on restructuring plans and job cuts, the simple fact is that US brands need to offer viable quality models to stem the flow of foreign sales in their home market, not to mention abroad.
The reality is that with more of our daily life spent behind the wheel of stationary vehicles, staring at a wall of cheap plastic is just not acceptable.
You wouldn't put up with this level of quality in your sitting room, so why should you in its motoring equivalent?
Things don't get much better when you turn the key. The 2-litre 150bhp petrol engine should be more than capable of pulling the Sebring along at a decent speed, but the reality is all rather tepid.
A 0-100km/h time of 12 seconds simply doesn't match a host of sub-10 second rivals. If you work the engine hard it does pick up its pace, and at mid-range speeds it's acceptable.
However, its performance is not helped by a rather clunky five-speed manual gearbox with ratios that do not seem in tue with the engine's ability.
Admittedly, Chrysler does offer a viable alternative in the form of a decent 2-litre diesel engine. Anyone considering the Sebring would be strongly advised to opt for this over the petrol version.
In terms of handling, US cars have long suffered from a reputation for poor cornering ability. In reality that's always been exaggerated, although the Chrysler is certainly no match for the likes of the Ford Mondeo and does have a tendency to understeer in fast bends.
Sadly, there's little in the way of steering feedback from the Sebring, while the ride is firm over rutted roads and rather too soft on the motorways. It all adds up to a rather lacklustre driving package, which is a shame.
Overall, in such a cut-throat market as mainstream family saloons, it's hard to see where the Sebring will succeed, particularly in Europe. It may be relatively well equipped, but then it does come with a price that could get you into a Honda Accord, a well-equipped Ford Mondeo or a VW Passat.
As we are always advising readers, you need to consider the ultimate cost of ownership and while resale values for Sebring are unknown, we would have serious doubts about its ability to match the trade-in prices of these more popular and established models. That takes some of the lustre off the competitive price.
The overall impression is of a car that would rate the Hyundai Sonata or Kia Magentis among its natural competitors.
Unfortunately for Chrysler, both of these are better priced. And if it's some form of US heritage that you desire, then perhaps a Chevrolet Epica would fit the bill, though even it is built by GM in Korea.
The Sebring should have been a real alternative to the tried and tested European fare. It should have built on the positive impressions of the brand created by the 300C. It should have been a real contender.
Instead, Chrysler has created a car that's some distance off its European rivals and will instead have to settle for a battle with the Koreans.
That's perhaps where the US firms are going to find themselves in the future, fighting off the younger Asian entrants having lost out - particularly in their home market - to Japanese rivals.
For those of us who harbour a soft spot for American motoring heritage, it's incredibly frustrating.
As for Chrylser, we await a worthy follow-up to the 300C. This is not it.
Factfile
Chrysler Sebring 2.0 Ltd CC: 1998 0-100km/h: 12.0 secs Max speed: 198km/h Bhp: 150 Fuel (com): 7.8 l/100km CO2 Emissions: 185g/km Price: €35,595
Engine:1998cc four-cylinder inline petrol unit; 150bhp @ 6,400rpm and 190Nm of torque @ 5,100rpm. Five-speed manual transmission
Specification:Front, side and curtain airbags; ESP with traction control; cruise control; LED lights front and rear; 18" alloys; auto climate control; heated leather seats; eight-way power driver seat; audio controls on steering wheel
L/100km (mpg):Urban: 10.7 (26.4); Extra-urban:6.1 (46.3); Combined: 7.8 (36.2)
CO2 emissions:185g/km
Tax band from July 1st:VRT:28 per cent; annual road tax: €600
Current price:€35,595 (diesel 2-litre, same price)