2011 T&C needs TLC

Chrysler (or is it Fiat) is now going about sprucing up it's current lineup, which for the most part consists of some slight plastic surgery, new interiors and a heart transplant in the form of it's new Pentastar V6. Not that's I'm bashing that - it's interiors and engines needed sprucing, and it's much cheaper than coming out with all new models. As long as they can revise the exterior enough not to get stuck in that awkward limbo of looking like a new car and looking too much like the old one.

Unfortunetly, the Town & Country is looking more like a case of the latter. Although I like Chrysler's classy new grille design first seen on the 200C concept car, it looks awkwardly out of place on the T&C. It's a tad too sleek for the boxy design - it looks like it's angles don't even match the headlights and cutlines. Hopefully when it's seen in real life - or at different angles - it won't look that bad. But aren't press releases supposed to show the best looking shots? This doesn't bode well.

But the worst is yet to come.

Out back we have a case of changing things just so they look different, but cheaping out by only changing the cheapest parts. So basically they left the sheet metal and focused solely on the bumper and taillights, resulting is these bizarre pinched looking taillights. How did anyone think this looks better than it did before? Sadly, this cheap-ass plastic surgery seems to be all the rage lately.

Let's hope that the rest of Chrysler's lineup fairs much better. To date we've already seen reskins the Patriot and Wrangler (mild but attractive), as well as the Dodge Charger (although not officially). We've seen glimpses of the 300C but nothing conclusive enough to judge that it turned out as well as the Charger (which looks perfect, IMO). The Durango and Grand Cherokee are also lookers, but they didn't have to rely on existing sheetmetal.

Also in the wings is the Chrysler Sebring morphing into the 200C - from teaser shots all looks well, but turning the Sebring into a beaut may be a difficult task. And the revised Dodge Avenger spy shots look like it's anything but. Sadly, in the next few months you may see more on this blog from Chrysler/Dodge...