Three tops, a restyled body, and generous feature content bring the ’Bring sort of almost up to par.
Chrysler’s perennial rent-a-convertible has been one of America’s most common ragtops since its 1996 introduction. Stunningly attractive in its day, the first Sebring had undeniable appeal, even if no one that drove it would attribute its commonality to more than its styling. Now, after a brief drive of the all-new 2008 Sebring convertible, which, for better or worse, falls in line with the unattractive, redesigned 2007 Chrysler Sebring sedan, we find that in spite of offering more technology, more engine choices and, for the first time, an optional retractable hardtop, the new Sebring lacks even the sort of charisma that made the first Sebring so popular in the first place.
No longer the ugly duckling, but hardly a swan
While still far from a beautiful, the Sebring looks much—make that much, much—better as a convertible than a sedan. The convertible top design dictated a longer trunk lid compared with the sedan, so an additional three inches of length were added, stretching those deep strakes further down the body in a far more becoming way. Furthermore, said contours are interrupted only by the small cutlines of one door, as opposed to two, and the simple, two-window greenhouse is far less cluttered than that mess of glass, pillars, and plastic trim found on the upper half of the sedan. Still, she’s got a face only a manufacturer could love, and even with the Limited’s 18-inch wheels, the body appears thick-waisted.
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