Test drive Chrysler Crossfire 2003 - 2006 compartment
Cosmopolitan
At first there was a concept. Then, together with the engineers and testers from the Old and New Worlds, he reached the conveyor. Oncoming cars wink on the headlights, onlookers gather around him. His name is Crossfire. Almost everyone knows the fact that Chrysler Crossfire is built with the widespread use of units from the Mercedes-Benz models.
The point here is not only in solid saving money, which gives the use of unified details. The main thing is that all of them are tested by time, and the developed techniques in the layout or refinement of manageability help to achieve the desired result less blood. By the way, despite overseas origin, Crossfire is collected in Germany, at the same factory with Mercedes-Benz CLK.
The appearance of Chrysler Crossfire can be safely called successful. By all grounds, this is a real American. The silhouette of the car is rapid: a longitudinal ridge throughout the body from nose to tail, immense hood, narrow side windows and large rear wheel arches. In the contours of the body, sharp faces and complex surfaces with separate smooth transitions dominate. Each part is reported about the power of the car, even the smallest. Take at least gills on the front wings. Or, for example, a small sliding spoiler. A purely utilitarian part, but executed elegantly and spectacular. Functionally, the spoiler is needed at a speed of more than 100 km/h, it loads the rear axle, reducing the lifting force at high speeds extends automatically with a servo drive and folds when the machine slows down to 80 km/h. Especially for the diots on the central console there is a key that allows you to raise the anti -wing at any speed, even in the parking lot.
Let's look into the salon. Crossfire is a purely double car, there are not even inferior seats known as +2. Behind the backs of the seats is a powerful spacer that increases the hardness of the body to twist. This beam limits the movement of the driver's seat along the length, and those whose height exceeds 185 cm, sitting behind the wheel, will experience some discomfort. Either the legs will be too bent at the knees, or the back will take an almost vertical position, and the hands will be very bent at the elbows as in a real racing car. Sports chairs with developed lateral support reliably fix the driver, and he will not strain even with the most unexpected maneuvers. The decoration of the salon in the car we got to the test was very catchy. The combination of black and red with a slight addition of matte metal is bright and sporty. Again, there is a clear connection between the elements of external and internal design. In the middle of the cabin along the front panel, along the console, even along the lever gearbox, a separating rib passes, as well as on the surface of the body. The layout of the instrument panel with a pleasant salad lighting did not cause complaints, as, however, and all the ergonomics as a whole. At first glance, it is clear that Crossfire is a relative of cars with a three -beam star, this is indicated by the general architecture of the torpedo, and even the set and shape of the keys and handles. True, the materials are not used by the most expensive, but these are already nit -picking. I was pleased that it was comfortable in the cabin at home.
When you get into the car for the first time, it is practically not required to get used to it, all controls are located logically. The microclimate system allows you to adjust the temperature separately for the driver and passenger, but is devoid of climate control, and the colleague who tested Crossfire complained to me that he had caught a cold in a strong The heat, without evaluating the power of the air conditioner. A pleasant surprise presented visibility. Usually such cars have problems with her, but Crossfire designers were able to avoid the capsule effect. The panorama, visible through the rear window, is very deteriorating with the rise of the spoiler, it overlaps the lower part of the glass, and a low car can easily be noticed. So at high speed before rebuilding it is better to look once again in the lateral mirror (good, it is very informative and does not distort the distance) to make sure that there is no one behind. The start of the engine is nothing unusual. Unless the body swayed slightly. Here they are, a classic layout and a powerful motor! As befits an American, the gearbox is automatic, although it turns out that it turns out that a 5-speed transmission is German, and a power unit of 3.2 l V6 with a capacity of 218 forces, too.
The impressions of the dynamics are the most positive. At a sharp start from a traffic light with a cumulative stabilization system, the motor easily breaks the rear wide 19-inch wheels in a slip and this is with a machine gun. The box has a manual mode, but it is quite conditional: when the maximum revolutions are reached, the machine still sticks the highest gear itself, and when the lowest is slowing down, up to the first, without reducing the engine speed to the minimum mark. The car allows you to make a lush, does it at ease and very gallantly. Crossfire is not an extreme supercar, but only a tourist compartment, all the errors in the piloting and dosage of gas are tirelessly corrected by the ESP system. With her, a sharp start with a smoke will not work out the machine starts to run, dropping the engine speed to a minimum. When the tachometer arrow crosses the mark of 3000, the interior is filled with a metal ringing of the exhaust system. This is music for a true connoisseur! And how Crossfire is gaining speed! Exactly, without jumps (due to the fact that a solid proportion of torque in the Mercedes six is \u200b\u200bavailable in a wide range of revolutions), but with inexorable pressure and energy. The main thing is not to succumb to provocation and not exceed the limit of the permitted one.
At first, approaching the turns, I automatically slowed down in advance and calculated the speed of entry, as in a regular passenger car. Then, noticing how easily and clearly Crossfire draws turns, began to increase speed. The limit was much further than it could be expected from a car with such a comfortable (by the standards of Sportsup) suspension. Despite the supernase -pro -profile tires (225/40R18 in front and 255/35ZR19 behind), Crossfire does not notice small road potholes at all, and only relatively large irregularities or the washing board reminded that I was leading a sports car, rather than a classic American sofa on wheels. Much here was explained by the acquaintance with the suspension materiel are borrowed from Mercedes: the front of SLK, the rear of the penultimate generation of E-class. But the positive emotions obtained thanks to the chassis slightly spoiled the empty steering wheel. There are not enough feedback in the turns and you have to steal.
With a sharp click on gas in the bend of Crossfire, it easily breaks into the skid, which is instantly suppressed by the USP unaware system. For those who want to go through a turn, it is more poational to turn off the electronic collar, but I would not advise experimenting with ESP on public road. Moreover, on the car there are such impressive rear wheels when overloading, they cling to the asphalt for a long time, but also lose their adhesion sharply, and it is necessary to be ready for this. There are almost no complaints about the brakes. Nearly. The only negative point with a sharp slowdown in the compartment begins to slightly drive from side to side, but all these movements are easily controlled, do not go beyond the permissible. Summing up, we can safely say: the car turned out worthy. The combination of American style and European habits, and even at such a tempting (against the backdrop of competitors) price an interesting offer. An excellent choice for those who know a lot about driving and those who want to stand out from the auto start. Well, in the recently appeared open version, this cosmopoline will be even more attractive to many.
Alexander Goryunov, Oleg Lapin
Source: Motor magazine [September 2004]
