At a dealer confab last week Chrysler laid out its plans for a revamped product line for model year 2011. At the top of the list was the new Chrysler 200 which will take the place of the current Sebring.

The 200 will use the existing Sebring platform but with extensive revisions. For example, chassis tweaks include revised body mounts, suspension geometry, rear sway bar, noise/vibration/harshness reductions, acoustic laminated glass for the windshield and front door windows and more. Chrysler is also promising higher quality materials throughout the interior.

Two engines will be offered, a 2.4-liter I-4 with either a 4-speed or 6-speed automatic and the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 producing 283 horsepower attached to a 6-speed automatic. Although the 200 is scheduled to hit the show rooms later this year, Chrysler would only provide teaser photos (see above).

The 200 will be vying for attention in one of the hottest segments of the market and its chief rivals include cars such as the Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata. Those cars have set the bar rather high and the 200 will have to at least meet that standard and distinguish itself with knockout styling, a boat load of features or both.

--M.D.

From the very earliest report of the U.S. version of Ford’s latest generation Fiesta, I was convinced that it would be my next car. When Ford offered early adopters the opportunity to pre-order their Fiestas before factory production had begun, I was there. I still have a copy of the build order that the salesman submitted, dated March 23.

My Fiesta was an almost fully loaded 5-door hatch, red candy metallic with cashmere leather interior. I loaded it up with nearly everything except the automatic transmission. I also skipped the power moon roof as the web site noted that it would be subject to “late availability”, and I didn’t want to wait that long.

In June I got word that the wait would be over soon. I had a buyer for my 2004 Taurus and since I could put my 2001 Miata into service as a daily driver for a week or two, I closed that deal to make room for my soon-to-be-arriving Fiesta.

Two weeks came and went, then four weeks. Still no Fiesta. But now there were other problems. Hurricane Alex wiped out rail lines that Ford was using to ship Fiestas out of the plant in Mexico. More weeks passed. Then word that Ford was shipping Fiestas by sea to Baltimore and that mine was put on a rail car there and on its way. More weeks passed and it still hadn’t arrived.

Now I was seeing photos posted on blogs of proud Fiesta owners with their new cars. I even saw one with the “late availability” moon roof. But I wasn’t seeing mine. I’d had enough. I decided to look at other options. I wanted a car that I could get as excited about as I was the Fiesta, it’s the car pictured above. Last week I pulled the trigger on my “plan B” and bought a 2011 Mustang with the new 3.7-liter V-6.

As frustrating as the process was, it turned out well. I couldn’t be happier with the Mustang.

--M.D.