Jeremy Clarkson and his crew at Top Gear hated the look of the new Chrysler PT Cruiser cabriolet so much that, after looking at a picture of the vehicle on screen, they winced, turned away and proclaimed it to be one of the ugliest vehicles they had ever seen.
All three of them (Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond) were unusually unanimous in this judgement. Normally, if Clarkson thinks a vehicle is attractive, Hammond will almost always dismiss it as “awful”. But this time they agreed on the PT Cruiser convertible and, after seeing the car in the flesh recently, I have to wonder why they all thought it was so unattractive.
Maybe it goes down to style being a subjective thing because practically all the motoring scribes I spoke to during the launch (men and women, young and old) agreed that the PT Cruiser cabriolet was a handsome vehicle, so it’s not only me who was won over by its old-fashioned appeal.
I’ll admit that I’ve always liked the look of the PT Cruiser, not only because it’s so different to everything else on the road, but because it successfully blends a retro and modern design that gives it far more presence than most vehicles.
DaimlerChrysler says that one of the fastest growing vehicle segments in the South African market is the convertible segment and this is the main reason behind the introduction of the cabriolet.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser has undergone a few design changes and it benefits from a bigger 2,4 litre engine that obviously pushes out more power at 105kW and more torque at 220Nm. And the most appealing factor about this vehicle is that, at R249 900, it offers great value for money with ample space for four adults and their luggage.
Thankfully, the new PT Cruiser doesn’t look radically different from the outgoing model.
Outside, it features new scalloped headlights, a slightly different grille, a new front bumper, new foglights, 16-inch alloys and a new bootlid. The cabrio has a “targa” bar over the front seats to enhance the look and to stop the wind from buffeting in the vehicle.
Taking the roof down is simple enough: unhook it manually from the windscreen and push a button and it folds down electronically. You can then put a plastic cover over it to hide the untidiness of the folded hood. Putting it back up was easy enough, though it did require a little muscle to pull the roof down into its slot while attaching it to the windscreen.
Inside, features such as the sporty, heated leather seats and the six-CD MP3 compatible front-loader made the test drive snug and enjoyable.
The PT Cruiser features four airbags as well as an inflatable driver knee-blocker, anti-lock brakes and traction control.
All-in-all, the cabrio proved to be an exceptional cruiser and displayed quite a solid feel for a drop-top.