BY STEVE SILER
Notably absent in the press kit for the new 2007 Chrysler Aspen is any reference to the first Mopar vehicle to don its name: a boxy, midsize Dodge sedan so hideous it lasted but a single generation, between 1976 and 1980. Chrysler would much rather we regard its cushy new Aspen—Chrysler's first-ever body-on-frame SUV—as the "300 of SUVs". Nice thought. We'll just say it's a darn nice Durango.
Clearly conceived to quell the chorus of Chrysler dealers that have grown tired of losing customers in search of something more macho than the limp-wristed Pacifica, the Aspen was crafted from the proverbial rib of the Dodge Durango. Aspen clearly aspires for bigger garages, however, dressed as it is with a glitzy egg-crate grille, chrome-capped bumper and pinstriped hood. Standard 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, smoother fender flares, and enough chrome to make an Escalade rush home for its Bedazzler are sufficient to keep all but the trained eye from recognizing the Durango underneath. Still, chrome alone can't create the 300 of SUVs.
Sharing the Durango's plus-sized interior dimensions, the Aspen has enough space for standard, three-person second- and third-row seats for maximum head count of eight (seven with the optional second-row bucket seat configuration). Officially, the Aspen is available only in "Limited" trim, which comes dressed with white LED interior lighting, an eight-speaker audio system with an iPod jack, and a healthy smattering of satin-silver and fake wood trim on the dash and door panels. Stain-proof, YES-essentials cloth upholstery covers the seats at the base $31,490 price point.
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