It's unusual for an American company to present a world debut at a British show, but that's just what Chrysler did when it unveiled the new Sebring at the London Motor Show in ExCeL. This event is a clear indication that Chrysler means business in Britain and Europe as a whole.

So what is the Chrysler Sebring? The outgoing Sebring was an all-American 'sedan', which would never have really worked in the UK, but the new car appears to have been designed and developed to cater as much to British tastes as American. To help it along it will be available in right-hand drive and there will even be the option of a modern 2-litre turbodiesel engine.

Other engine options will be 2.0 and 2.4-litre four-cylinders and a 2.7-litre V6. Prices and final specification will be announced closer to the car's launch in the first half of 2007, but expect pricing to put the Sebring into competition with the top end of the Ford Mondeo/Vauxhall Vectra market.

What the Sebring does very differently to most of the cars in that segment is stand out. Like its big brother, the 300C, the Sebring features distinctive styling, sharing cues with the 300C and the Crossfire coupe. We sat in the car at the London show despite its 'provisional' fit and finish. The interior of the Chrysler Sebring is light and airy thanks to a decent amount of space and bright trim colours. The style is fresh too and quite distinct from the typical rep-mobile.

Shane O' Donoghue - 20 Jul 2006