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Chrysler is raising the roof on the cabrio segment, introducing the all-new 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio. The Sebring Cabrio is built on the company’s new platform and offers what no other cabrio in its price range can offer: Chrysler’s sleek and elegant design, a spacious interior that comfortably seats four adults and useable space in the rear, even when the top is down.

“The Sebring cabrio is a great American full four seat cabrio made from the same DNA as 300C - a modern classic,” said Gerry Jenkins, managing director, Chrysler.

The Chrysler Sebring Cabrio has long held the honour of America's favourite cabrio, solidly leading the segment in North America for the past decade.

“Available in soft and hard top, the Sebring cabrio is also the first Chrysler to land in Australia with our new six speed automatic and V-6 powertrain, both of which will make their way into the Sebring sedan,” said Jenkins.

Chrysler designers looked at the future brand showroom when seeking inspiration for the 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio. From the original sketches to the production vehicle, the all-new cabrio was designed to provide a familial tie to its new sedan sibling, and the resemblance is unmistakable. Beyond that, the cabrio stretches the look to create usable space in the boot when the cabrio top is stowed.

From the front, the new Sebring Cabrio shares many traits with its sedan sibling, including the distinctive face of Chrysler, the brand’s signature grille and a uniquely sculptured hood that features the Chrysler brand’s elegant lines. The Chrysler winged medallion is centred at the top of the grille just below the leading edge of the hood. Large quad headlamps wrap around to the side of the vehicle, where the all-new Sebring Cabrio’s profile takes on a shape all its own.

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio’s overall length is 3 inches longer than the sedan, which lengthens the side profile and provides enough cargo room in the boot to hold two golf bags when the roof is retracted. Sebring Cabrio’s profile is defined by a long hood, a long roofline and a high chrome beltline, all of which give the vehicle a nicely proportioned, elegant greenhouse with the top up. Designers also minimised the width of the C-pillar, improving the cabrio’s sleek side profile and increasing rearward visibility when the cabrio top is up. Sculpted character lines run across the body, underneath the door handles and across the lower body side, producing the Sebring Cabrio’s athletic stance.
From the rear, wide tail lamps are mounted on the corners and deck lid for visibility and visual impact.

World-class Craftsmanship

The Chrysler Sebring Cabrio’s interior features a modern, clean design with intense focus on quality, detail, craftsmanship and execution. Soft surfaces on interior touch points, including the instrument panel cover and door arm rest, complement the cabrio’s luxurious interior.

Inspired by the Chrysler winged badge, the cabrio’s centre stack features a Chrysler signature analogue clock, which is surrounded by dual heating and air conditioning vents. Sebring Cabrio’s instrument panel also includes a locking glove box that can secure important documents and small items. The centre floor console features dual storage bins and a sliding armrest that moves 3 inches to provide a comfortable position for all drivers.

As many as four occupants can experience the new Sebring Cabrio’s comfortable, roomy interior. Rear seat passengers also have plenty of leg and head room, making this a functional cabrio that can be enjoyed year round in all seasons.

Thoughtful Attention to Details

The Sebring Cabrio’s development team paid keen attention to details, finding ways to make life easier for the driver and passengers, while creating a clean design in the process. The result is a 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio that delivers many standard innovative and thoughtful features that will both surprise and delight the driver and passengers, including:

- A boot spacious enough to hold two golf bags when the cabrio top is up or down
- Sebring’s new cabrio top system automatically latches
- A standard power hard tonneau that neatly conceals both cabrio tops
- Seatbelts integrated into the front and a rear seat, which looks clean, enhances seat comfort and makes it easier for passengers to get into the back seat 
- Heated/cooled cup holder on Limited models 
- YES Essentials® stain-resistant, odor resistant, anti-static seat fabric on Touring models
- Rear cup holders that are positioned in the rear quarter panels for easy access by rear-seat passengers 
- Passenger seat back that includes a map pocket for storage 
- Doors that include map pocket inserts

Excellent Fuel Efficiency

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio will be available in Australia from January 2008 in two models: Chrysler Sebring Cabrio Touring and Chrysler Sebring Cabrio Limited.

Available in both soft and folding metal hard top, the all-new Sebring Cabrio is also the first Chrysler vehicle to arrive in Australia with the company’s new powertrain, also available in the Chrysler Sebring sedan.

Standard in Touring and Limited Cabrio models - the 2.7 Litre, petrol V6 engine (137kW of power and 256Nm of torque) and six speed automatic transmission are just part of the already impressive list of standard features. All this adds up to a combined fuel economy rating 10.5 L/100km.

New Six-speed Transaxle Provides Quick Acceleration, Quiet Ride

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio is one of the first Chrysler Group vehicles to offer a new six-speed automatic transaxle, which provides quicker standing-start acceleration than a four- or five-speed transaxle because of a numerically higher first gear ratio. A more robust differential with increased torque capacity enhances launch performance by requiring less torque management, electronically limiting the torque that is available during the initial stages of standing-start acceleration. Smaller steps between ratios also make for a smoother, quieter ride, as the engine speed doesn’t change as often with each shift. In addition, more ratio choices, more appropriate ratios for quicker acceleration and a lower overall top gear ratio provide a quiet ride and improved fuel economy at highway speeds.

Solid Structure Provides a Smooth Ride

The 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio was engineered to have an extremely rigid body structure, which provides its quiet, comfortable ride, when the top is down. Compared with the model it replaces, the new Sebring Cabrio's body structure is substantially stiffer than its predecessor in bending and torsion, especially bending, due to very large sills. In fact, its new front-wheel-drive architecture and the three-box vehicle design contribute to a body that is 2.5 times stiffer in twist and 1.5 times stiffer in bending than the previous generation cabrio.

Sebring Cabrio Styling Options

All Chrysler Sebring Cabrio models will be available in Inferno Red Tinted Pearl Coat, Light Sandstone, Marathon Blue Pearl Coat, Modern Blue Pearl Coat, Silver Steel Metallic Clear Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Brilliant Black Pearl Coat and Stone White Clear Coat.

Sebring Cabrio Offers Two Top Options, Including Soft or Retractable Hard Top
For the first time, the all-new Chrysler Sebring Cabrio offers two cabrio top options: a standard Black cloth top on Touring models and a first for Chrysler, a body-colour painted steel retractable hard top on Limited models.

The top’s three-layer construction, serviceable rear glass window and electric defroster make for comfortable driving, regardless of the weather outside.
The retractable hard top provides a sleek, integrated, coupe-like appearance that provides all-season flexibility, perfect for drivers who love the idea of a cabrio, but until now may have shied away because it didn’t seem practical for everyday driving. Top that with a standard power hard tonneau cover on the Touring model, and the all-new Sebring Cabrio provides an elegant, streamlined appearance to boot, whether the top is up or down.

Style, Space and Comfort

Sebring Cabrio’s finely crafted interior features soft surfaces, rich grains and selective gloss levels. Soft surfaces on several interior touch points, including the instrument panel cover and door arm rests, complement the cabrio’s luxurious interior. The instrument panel features a Pebble grain, which is applied to the top cover, top pad, passenger bezel and cluster bezel for a uniform look.

The Sebring Cabrio’s interior theme was inspired by the Chrysler uplifted winged badge motif. A large shield-like graphic on the instrument panel forms a soft chevron shape reminiscent of the Chrysler signature grille. With the Chrysler signature analogue clock as the centre piece, the decorative bezel parallels the Chrysler winged badge. This design theme completes the philosophy of harmonising the exterior and interior design as one.

Chrysler Sebring Cabrio’s doors include map pocket inserts, while the back of the passenger seat includes a map pocket for storing maps, papers or magazines.

Rear seat passengers have plenty of leg and head room, as Sebring Cabrio’s rear seat provides competitive leg room. Arm rests and bottle holders are placed in the rear quarter trim panel for the convenience and comfort of rear seat passengers. Front seat passengers also receive a cup holder each.

ABS and ESP Keep Sebring Cabrio’s Wheels on the Road

For the first time in the cabrio segment, Chrysler Group is offering standard four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes (ABS) on all 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio models. Sebring Cabrio’s ABS system helps the driver keep the vehicle under control by preventing wheel lock-up when the driver brakes on slippery surfaces.

The Chrysler Sebring Cabrio also offers Electronic Stability Program (ESP) bundled with Brake Assist and Traction Control. ESP helps the driver maintain stability and does everything within the limits of vehicle traction to keep the car on course. ESP also helps maintain forward traction by constantly monitoring wheel speed sensor signals. If there is any indication of slippage, ESP engages, applying the brakes and, if necessary, closing the throttle to maintain traction. Sebring Cabrio’s ESP system works in slick driving conditions, including wet, snowy, icy, sandy or gravel roads, as well as on hot, dry pavement where a thin layer of oil can form, causing the surface to be slick.

Hydraulic Brake Assist and Traction Control are bundled with ESP and help Sebring Cabrio drivers keep control of their vehicle. A pressure sensor in the ESP hydraulic module determines when the driver is making an emergency stop by measuring the rate at which the driver applies the brake. A high rate of pedal pressure application causes the ESP system to apply maximum hydraulic pressure to the brakes and the vehicle stops as quickly as the available traction will allow. Traction Control helps the Sebring Cabrio maintain traction by applying the brakes and in some cases closing the throttle to minimise wheel spin during acceleration.

The front-wheel-drive 2008 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio features a four-wheel independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and a multi-link rear suspension. The rear suspension cross member is isolated to the body to create a quiet ride, with less road noise vibration and harshness (NVH) than previous models.

Rigid Body Structure Delivers Superior Ride and Handling

When developing the new Sebring Cabrio’s body structure, Chrysler Group engineers took extensive measures to make sure that the drop of the top doesn’t mean a drop in the overall driving experience.

High-strength steels, reinforcements and braces used throughout the body structure contribute to the improvements. These include:

- Reinforcements in the cabrio’s rear bulkhead, behind the rear seats and in the sills provide the stiffness that the roof structure and rear structural ring provide in the sedan body
- Adhesive-bonded, high-strength steel tubes in each sill and two sets of cross braces bolted to the under body add strength
- A roll-formed, high-strength beam welded to the body structure under the rear seat improves side-impact performance
- Dual-phase steel used in the rear rails, tunnel reinforcement and sills adds body stiffness

Keeping the Wind and Noise Out

Both the hard-top and soft-top mechanisms have die-cast aluminium frames. To give it strength with less weight, the soft top includes a magnesium front header. The three-layer soft tops include a headliner backed with foam and Mylar®, which helps contribute to the Sebring Cabrio’s quiet interior. The headliner also hides the insulation pad that is positioned between the outer cloth or vinyl canopy and the roof bows. The top’s steel outer panels are painted body colour. Weather stripping between the panels provides additional sealing to keep the wind, road and powertrain noise outside the vehicle.

On both the soft and the hard top, the two rear rails are aluminium, but the front rail is steel, as are some of the inner rear panel reinforcements. The steel top provides strength when the top is locked in the raised position. When the top is stowed, each section locks in place to the one below it to prevent damage or noise.

Open air driving at a flick of a switch

On both soft and hard tops, the easy-to-use cabrio top folds in three sections. Forget leaning over to latch or unlatch the cabrio top, Sebring Cabrio owners can drop the top with a switch on the instrument panel. The soft top takes about 27 seconds to raise or retract, while the hard top takes 30 seconds. A standard automatic hard tonneau cover neatly conceals the top stowage area when the cabrio top is down. When either the hard or soft top is stowed, the boot still holds two easily accessible sets of golf clubs or other cargo.

Electronic Vehicle Information Centre

An interactive digital display located in the instrument cluster conveniently displays information and can be controlled by switches mounted in the Sebring Cabrio’s centre stack switch bank. The system allows the Sebring Cabrio driver to select from a menu of useful information. Chrysler Sebring Cabrio owners can personalise their settings, such as having the lights flash when locking and unlocking the vehicle using Remote Keyless Entry. The Chrysler Sebring Cabrio’s Electronic Vehicle Information Centre also gives owners the ability to scroll through the compass/outside temperature, average fuel economy, distance to empty, trip elapsed time and Tire-Pressure Monitoring displays.

Class-leading Safety and Security Features

- Standard Advanced Multi-stage Driver and Passenger Front Air Bags
- Standard Front-seat-mounted Side Air Bags
- Standard Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
- Standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Traction Control
- Brake Assist (included with ESP)
- All-speed Traction Control (included with ESP) senses drive-wheel slip and applies individual brakes to a slipping wheel(s), and can reduce excess engine power until traction is regained
- Side Guard Door Beams provide occupant protection during a side impact
- Auto-dimming Rear view Mirror dims the light to ease headlight reflection in the driver’s eyes on Limited models
- BeltAlert provides an audible and visual warning to alert drivers when their seat belt is unfastened
- Child Seat Anchor System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children [LATCH] ) eases installation of compatible aftermarket child seats
- Constant Force Retractors (CFR) distributes force or load exerted on a seat belt, and then gradually releases the seat-belt webbing in a controlled manner
- Crumple Zones compress during an accident to absorb energy from an impact, decreasing transfer of that energy to the occupants
- Energy-absorbing Steering Column utilises two hydroformed coaxial tubes that can move relative to each other to allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy-absorption during a crash. The power-adjust steering column employs a calibrated bending element that deforms during column stroke for optimal energy management
- Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS) makes it easier for emergency personnel to see and reach occupants in the event of an accident by turning on the interior lighting and unlocking the doors after air-bag deployment. Also shuts off the flow of fuel to the engine
- Inside Emergency Boot Release with a glow-in-the-dark release handle, can be activated in the event of an adult or child being inadvertently trapped inside the trunk
- Interior Head-impact Protection includes interior pillars above the beltline and instrument panel including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side-rail structures, and shoulder-belt turning loops specifically designed to limit head-impact force
- Knee Bolsters in the lower instrument panel and the glove-box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling the air bags to work effectively
- Remote Keyless Entry locks and unlocks doors, and turns on interior lamps. If the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-theft security alarm, the remote also arms and disarms that system
- Seat-belt Pretensioners immediately remove slack in the seat belts in a collision situation, thereby reducing the forward movement of the occupants’ heads and torsos
- Available Security Alarm blows the horn intermittently and flashes the turn signal lamps to deter vandalism and theft. It protects the vehicle from theft by monitoring both the door- and liftgate-ajar switches and the ignition circuit for unauthorized entry
- Sentry Key® Engine Immobiliser utilises an engine key that has an embedded transponder with a pre-programmed security key code to shut the engine off after a few seconds if the correct key is not inserted
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring (TPM) system alerts the driver to low pressure tire(s) by a warning light in the instrument cluster. A premium system displays individual tire pressure, available with the Electronic Vehicle Information System

Chrysler Sebring Cabrio Touring - Standard Equipment

- Power Soft Top with Hard Tonneau Cover
- Electronic Stability Control (ESP) and Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
- Brake Assist with All Speed Traction Control
- Driver and Passenger Air Bag
- Front Seat Mounted Curtain Air Bags
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring Display
- Four-Wheel Independent Suspension
- Six-Way Power Drivers Seat
- Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel (audio controls) and Shift Knob.
- Security Alarm
- Cruise Control
- Automatic Temperature Control
- YES Essentials Stain Resistant Cloth Interior
- 17 inch Alloy Wheels

Chrysler Sebring Cabrio Limited – Adds

- Folding Metal Hard Top with Hard Tonneau Cover
- 18 inch Alloy Wheels
- MyGIG Unit, Touch-screen & DVD/20GB-HD (Sat Nav not included)
- 276-watt Boston Acoustics 6-speaker Premium Audio System
- Two-tone Leather Interior with Tortoise Shell and Chrome Accents
- Heated Front Seats
- Heated/Cooled Front Cup Holders

Chrysler Sebring Cabrio Production

Right hand drive production of the 2007 Chrysler Sebring Cabrio began in September of 2007 at the newly refurbished Sterling Heights (Michigan) Assembly Plant.