Chrysler LHS is First Produced

The Chrysler LHS is a full-size, front wheel drive car based on the Chrysler LH platform. It was Chrysler's flagship model from 1994 to 2001.
Having been praised throughout its production run as offering a blend of high end luxury and features, along with solid performance, the LHS was marketed as a rival to other cars costing thousands more. The first generation LHS offered an overall package (of both luxury and performance) very reminiscent of a higher end European car. Many American automotive journalists stated that Chrysler's flagship car could be easily mistaken for something German. This was just a few years before Chrysler Corporation's partnering with Daimler-Benz.

Originally released in 1994, a year after the Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision were released, the LH 207 (Chrysler LHS and New Yorker) used a version of the LH platform with a five-inch (127 mm) longer body, and took the place of the Imperial as the largest and most luxurious car in Chrysler's range and viewed as its "flagship" model. While the wheelbase of all the LH models remained the same, the 5 inch longer body allowed the engineers to push the rear seat even farther back. This gave the LHS an almost limo-like rear seat room, analogous to the various stretched "L" models from BMW or Mercedes. A very similar New Yorker model was also built as a replacement for the New Yorker Fifth Avenue and New Yorker Salon. From 1994 on, all three Chrysler LH models used the mid-level "Touring" suspension. An even stiffer "Performance" setting was an available option on the Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision.
The Concorde, which differed substantially more, was seen as the base full-size Chrysler. The six-passenger LHS was differentiated from its counter part chrome trimmed sibling, the Chrysler New Yorker, by a floor console and shifter, an upgraded interior and a sportier image. The New Yorker was dropped in favor of a six-passenger option on the 1997 LHS. The LHS received a minor f...

ess with American space and character and fall short, the LHS succeeds. Thoroughly Chrysler in its bold styling, the LHS combines the space and comforts expected in an American luxury car with the road manners found in a European import.

Although the second-generation LHS is an evolutionary development of the car of the same name first introduced for the 1994 model year, little besides that name is unchanged. If the new LHS's bolder styling is the most obvious difference, the unseen changes are the most important. A more rigid chassis structure reduces noise levels and allows for improved suspension tuning, and an all-new high- output overhead cam aluminum V6 engine gives smooth, sophisticated performance.

Typically for today's Chrysler line, the LHS is priced to compete with competitor's "entry-luxury" lines. But nearly every comfort and convenience feature expected in a luxury car is included in the base price. The short option list is tailored to specific needs such as cold-weather operation and smokers (yes, the lighter and ashtray are now options), and upgraded wheels and stereo systems. This week's test car was delivered to me with no options at all. None were missed. If the price is at the low end of the luxury class, the LHS's equipment levels are solidly in the middle and its interior space compares favorably with many premium luxury cars. It is offered only with a V6 engine, not a "prestige" V8, but that V6 makes more power than some V8s found in more expensive luxury cars. There is no mistaking the LHS's origin -- it's an American luxury sedan through and through. But, it's a modern American luxury sedan that can hold its own against any competitor, including those costing $10,000 more. And it has styling and balanced performance that should appeal to the younger buyers courted by all domestic luxury manufacturers.

APPEARANCE: Is it futuristic or is it retro? Neither, really. Bold grilles have been a Chrysler styling hallmark since the 1950s,...

The Chrysler LHS was introduced for the 1994 model year to give Chrysler a premium entry in the full-size sedan segment. Chrysler began the redesign of its LH platform two years ago with the all-new 1998 Concorde and Dodge Intrepid. Taking the platform to the next level, the automaker jumped into the 1999 model year with an all-new LHS. The redesigned luxury flagship of the Chrysler brand features an engine that is both more powerful and more efficient than its predecessor. The LHS is part of Chrysler's first "paperless" design, and all aspects of the new model were created using Chrysler's CATIA (Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application). Chrysler claims that this process trimmed eight months off the total development time for the new LH models.