January 7, 2004

New PT Cruiser Convertible roomier than competitors

Auburn Hills, Michigan - Chrysler revealed the new 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible at the Detroit auto show on Tuesday. With 84 cubic feet of passenger space and 13 cubic feet of luggage volume, the PT Cruiser Convertible offers more interior cargo volume than its competitors, says the company.

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"Our engineers wanted to make the PT Cruiser Convertible a convertible that you can actually do things with," said Larry Lyons, Vice President-Small Vehicle Product Team Engineering. "Nine different seat configurations and a pass-through trunk opening with enough room to store two golf bags make the car more versatile than its competitors."

The PT Cruiser Convertible features almost 10 inches more rear leg room than other competitors in its class. The PT Cruiser Convertible also has the same rear seat height as the sedan, for "open air" rear theater seating. It's also one of the quietest convertibles, according to Chrysler.

"The combination of the sport bar design and position, together with enhancements to the body structure results in an exceptionally quiet ride," said Lyons. "While on-the-road experience is what ultimately matters, we performed extensive wind tunnel testing to assure our customers a quiet ride, top up or top down."

The PT Cruiser Convertible will be available in Standard, Touring and GT models. The standard model includes a 150 horsepower 2.4-litre four cylinder engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. The Touring model Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible features a standard 150-horsepower engine with a manual transaxle and an optional turbocharged 180-horsepower 2.4-litre engine with automatic transaxle. The GT model includes a standard High Output 220-horsepower turbocharged engine with a five-speed Getrag manual transaxle.

Production of the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible begins in early 2004 at DaimlerChrysler's Toluca, Mexico assembly plant.

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