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Chrysler Group Unveils Trio of Eagerly Awaited Ragtops
Detroit Free Press
Sarah A. WebsterJanuary 6, 2004
Jan. 6--It was nippy in Detroit on Tuesday, but DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group unveiled three new ragtops suitable for sunny warm weather.
The Auburn Hills-based division of the German automaker introduced a long-awaited Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible, as well as a Chrysler Crossfire roadster and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited sport-utility vehicle.
Chrysler intends to offer 25 new and redesigned vehicles over the next three years, nine of them this year. The three convertibles are part of this wave of fresher product.
The PT Cruiser convertible is set for production in the first quarter of the year, followed by the Crossfire roadster in the spring and the Wrangler in the fall.
Wolfgang Bernhard, Chrysler's chief operating officer, conceded that the PT Cruiser convertible comes to market later than it should have. The company heard of customers in California and elsewhere "chopping their roofs off and putting in some bad convertible tops," he said.
"That just indicates there's a demand for such a vehicle," he said.
Pricing for the 2005 PT Cruiser convertible, which will be built at the company's plant in Toluca, Mexico, will start at $19,995.
The new 2004 1/2 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited brings more space to the popular small Jeep. It offers 13 inches more space in the cargo area and 2 inches more second-row leg room, while maintaining the open-air feel and 4x4 capability of the original Jeep Wrangler.
The convertible Crossfire follows the popular Crossfire coupe, which debuted last year. A high-performance version of the coupe and convertible, called the SRT-6, is due later this year. It will have a supercharged version of the 3.2-liter V6 that powers the current vehicles.
Free Press business writer Mark Phelan contributed to this report.
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