2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser

2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser

DETROIT - What if DaimlerChrysler came up with a funky retro-styled car that is shorter than a compact Neon on the outside but bigger and roomier than most full-size sedans on the inside? And what if it were as maneuverable as a sports coupe while offering the carrying ability of a small minivan -- all for less than $20,000?

Forget the "what if'" part: Chrysler says it will build an odd-looking little vehicle called the PT Cruiser, which -- while based on the 2000 Neon -- looks for all the world to be a cross between the Plymouth Pronto concept car of the '90s and Chrysler's 1934 Airstream and Airflow models.

The "PT" designation stands for "Personal Transportation" because the vehicle is designed to handle the people- and cargo-transporting needs of a variety of people. Thanks to a myriad of folding seats and flip-out benches, the Cruiser can haul up to five adults or, should the need arise, roughly the same amount of stuff that would fit into the bed of a compact pickup.

The split-back rear bench can be folded or simply removed to provide a flat load floor. What's more, the front passenger bucket can even be folded up to serve as a tabletop for the driver or to accommodate an item as long as eight feet without having it hang out an open rear hatch.

The front-wheel-drive hatchback will be powered by an all-new 2.4-liter, 16-valve four-cylinder mated to either an automatic or manual transmission. Production will begin early in 2000 at DaimlerChrysler's Neon plant in Mexico, with U.S. units arriving at dealers by winter.

DaimlerChrysler officials called the PT Cruiser a "segment buster" that should attract a wide spectrum of buyers. But we think its funky-retro looks, high versatility and low price will attract young free-thinkers more likely to shop imports than Chryslers, 85-year-olds who couldn't afford the 1934 Airflow when they were young -- and just about anybody in-between.