Dodge Spirit

The Dodge Spirit was introduced in 1989 as the midsize sedan to replace the Dodge 600 and Lancer, and was similar to the 1990 to 1995 Chrysler LeBaron sedan and the Plymouth Acclaim. It was based on the Chrysler A platform, a stretched variation of the Chrysler K platform. It was built in Newark, Delaware and Toluca, Mexico. Production ended on December 9, 1994 and it was replaced by the Stratus. The Spirit differed from the other A-bodies mainly in having a firmer, sportier suspension and in styling. The Spirit was a five-passenger four-door sedan with a relatively large trunk, a solid-beam rear axle, and a MacPherson strut front suspension. Initially benchmarked against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, a relatively slow development process and the need to use common Chrysler Corporation parts and the basic Chrysler K platform design worked against the Spirit and other A-bodies, and they ended up selling quite well but mainly on the basis of price and value. Though maligned in their later years by critics, they did outsell the critically acclaimed Stratus/Cirrus.

Powertrain

The base engine was the 2.5 L stroked derivative of the 2.2 L I4 introduced with the K-cars in 1981. The 2.5 L was chosen in favor of the 2.2 L due to the fact that it produced significantly more torque, which was better suited to the heavier Spirit. It was paired with a 5-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, but a 3-speed automatic was available as an option.

Optional in base Spirits and standard equipment on the higher-level ES trim was a turbocharged version of the four-cylinder engine, which raised power and torque output significantly. The choice of transmissions remained the same as models with the naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine.

Optional in all Spirits (except for the R/T) was Chrysler's version of Mitsubishi's 3.0 L V6. This set the Spirit apart from its predecessors, which had only been available with choices of naturally aspirated and turbocharged four-cylinder engines. This was only one of many refinements to Chrysler's lineup of front wheel drive sedans, the most significant having been the introduction of their new-for-1989 "Ultradrive" (also known by its codenames: A604 and 41TE) 4-speed automatic transmission, paired specifically with the V6 engine.