European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 18, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday september 18, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13 Good cars with sensible Price Structure Chrysler s new duo wins plaudits Zdilor s role today we have two lest reports dec i Iii ring Chrysler s new Plymouth Sundance compact and the other discussing Suzuki at Japan s so 113 sports Utility vehicle which is sold on his. Market As the Suzuki Samurai. The Plymouth Sundance review i by Jan a. A Verlna Aulii writer for United press International while the Suzuki report is by Jerry Kidder e computer technician at the stars and strips and u fan of four wheel Drolte  Barnett by  of troit Chrysler com. Calls i hem its new a cars. Buyers will know them this tall As the 1987 Plymouth Sun dance and Dodge Shadow of Small can ready to launch the comeback car maker into its 1987 Model year. The Sundance Shadow duo was Origi Nally intended to replace the subcompact Plymouth horizon and Dodge Omni that Chrysler has been churning out since 1978. Instead Chrysler decided to re introduce the Omni horizon As the America and slashing the Price to about $5,800 through some stringent Cost Cut Ting and options packaging. The Sundance Shidow duo was then blessed with a generous amount of Stan Dard equipment and moved up a few rungs on the social ladder to Appeal to those with slightly deeper pockets. But Only b hit deeper because these cars will have a base Price of 17,599 for the Sun dance and $7,499 for the Shadow. Although a Sundance was evaluated for this review the review also applies to the Plymouth Sundance four door scats live people. The Shadow. The front drive cars share the same running gear and body Dimen Sions and about the Only discernible Dif Ference besides name plates and Grilles arc slightly different Tai lamps and More Chrome on the Sundance. This is one reason Why prices Are Low product differentiation costs Money and Chrysler did not see any reason for it with this Type of car. Chrysler also has Cut complexity and costs by offering Only 13 options for both models and two trim Levels for the Shadow Only the base and is version the cars blur traditional size categories. With a 97-Inch who Cabase and a 172-Inch length they Are larger than a sub compol yet smaller than a compact. They arc aimed to compete with cars both above and below their size class the Pontiac sunbird. Ford escort it Toyota Corolla and Honda Accord two door. Two or four door hatchbacks Are offered. Standard equipment includes a 2.2-liter fuel injected four Cylinder engine five Speed manual transmission and full instrumentation. Optional equipment includes a Turbo charged 2.2-liter engine automatic trans Mission and Power controls. Performance tires arc offered on the Shadow Only to up Grade suspension and handling. A Plymouth Sundance Sedan tested was tentatively priced at so i so including air conditioning $590. A popular equipment package s325 and tinted Glass $89. A comparable Model should Cost about s s.900 when firm prices arc set. While the Sundance s appearance is certainly not a styling departure it does contain some notable features aimed at producing a High degree of fit and finish. Body scams Are Kepi to a minimum doors wrap up into the roof line 10 hide rain gutters and bumpers wrap around to the wheel cts. The Interior Well finished in a combi nation of smooth and ribbed cloth is airy and Mcmully free of fake Wood or Chrome  97-horsepower, 2.2-Liier engine provides adequate Power for a 2.49j Pound Cir provided the smooth shift ing  Gearbox is ordered. The three Speed automatic makes the car a bit lethargic. A Turbo engine of h6 lip is also available. The estimated Epa figures Are 25 mpg City 33 mpg Highway for the base engine and transmission slightly lower for the Turbo or automatic. Handling and braking Are up to Par for a car this site and blend Well with its Power resulting in a very pleasant Over All package. Road noise is highly isolated through the use of a folded Headliner and heavy resin sound dead incr. The Sundance Shadow is definitely Chrysler s Best Effort to Date. The cars have the Aura of Well built imports thanks to better materials and an improved ride. The five year. 50,000-mile warranty and Sensi ble Price Structure arc two additional Fea Tures that will attract buyers. The Plymouth Sundance Dodge Shadow ears will be arriving in Europe soon. Complete detail on these models and i hair special prices on the military Market May be obtained from Chrysler suits representatives at the cafes new ear sales Point on the various bases in Europe Little Suzuki has a personality of its own by Jerry Kidder the Suzuki s rocking horse personality takes a Tittle getting used to but after the initial experience the fun begins. The Suzuki so 413 cabrio converti ble do luxe is a four wheel drive vehicle with a personality All its own. The combination of an extremely Short wheelbase of 80 inches and a firm suspension causes the Suzuki to react quickly to bumps with both the front and rear ends. Powered by an overhead Cam 1.3-Lilcr, four Cylinder engine of 64 horsepower the so 413 is powerful enough to cruise in the 70 Milc per hour Range. The steer ing is stiff but manageable and gives a True feel of the Road. The brakes Are Power assisted with discs in front and Drums in Back. During the test period the Little Suzuki was driven on All types of roads. From the autobahn to winding country roads and then some four Wheeling the Suzuki was just Plain fun to drive. The rocking from front to Back soon becomes familiar to the Driver and when the top is Down the scenery is All that much belter. Hill climbing through the German Odenwald area caused no problems for the motor and the five Speed transmission keeps the revs Down to a respectable level on the autobahn. Even with the top Down conversation was possible on the autobahn due to the lop construction. The doors Are full Frame and with the windows rolled up there is Little wind disturbance on the front scat passengers. The Back seat however big enough for two adults is quite open to the wind. Taking the top Down is not a Quick Job. The front of the top fits in a Channel along the top of the Windshield and it must slide out from the Side before the Many snaps Are unbuttoned. But it s not Suzuki s so 413 sports Utility vehicle is marketed la the us. U the Samurai photo too difficult an operation and practice makes perfect the top unfortunately is not water Light. During heavy Rains water leaks in he sides and can cause wet feet for the rear seat passengers. Inside seating in the so 413 is comfortable and the instruments Are easy to read. The seats Are firm with a construction which gives Good Side support and even after hours of driving allow a relaxed seating position. The front seats Are full recliners so the Driver can pull into a parking area for a break and take a Nap along the Way. The exterior of the Suzuki is attractive with seven colors available on the euro Pean Market. The tires Are i9s or iss with the possibility of going to 225/755 for additional stability. Gas mileage was acceptable the Suzuki getting 24,7 Miles per gallon during the entire lest period. Tic tank has a capacity of 10.5 Gallons. The five Speed transmission is very flexible with the lower gears offering Strong pulling Power and the fifth gear allowing a High enough ratio to keep the rpm s Down during High Speed Ravel. Four wheel drive is obtained by shift ing a floor mounted gear lever. This lever controls the so 413 s Range which includes four wheel drive Low for difficult terrain and the toughest conditions four wheel drive High and the Normal rear wheel drive. Four wheel Low can Only be obtained from a stand still. The Driver can shift into High Range with the car under Way. During testing in four wheel drive the Suzuki proved to be stable with the nor Mal precautions necessary with All High entered vehicles. In deep Sand and Steep inclines in seemed impossible to hang the the Driver seating is High and the All around View is except Cut the Short wheel base allowing the Driver to Sec even when at the top of very Steep inclines. In addition to the so 413 cabrio de luxe the Suzuki so models Are available in a hard top Van and a Long bodied Hardtop. The so is also available As the so 410 de luxe this one powered by a 1 liter engine of 45 horsepower. The prices for the German specification Model so 413 cabrio de luxe Start at i9.s90 Marks about 19,800this Price including 14 percent tax. The . Specification models Are not available in Europe at this Lime