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CNN Live Sunday

DaimlerChrysler Comes Out With New Car

Aired January 06, 2002 - 17:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, despite the shaky economy, auto makers are spending big again this year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Organizers estimate car makers spent about $300 million on displays, and that doesn't include the cost of the cars. Media previews started today. The auto show opens to the public on Saturday -- some of the hot models there.

CNN's Jeff Flock is at the auto show with a look at what's new in 2002.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Giving you a special look at a car this hour. Take a look at this one. It's called the Crossfire. In addition to being named for a CNN broadcast, it's also the progeny of the marriage of Daimler and Chrysler, and this is the chief operating officer of DaimlerChrysler.

You're the guy who is in charge of making these sorts of combinations work, and this is the thing that has come of this merger, the first real thing. How does it work?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It works that we have combined the best of both worlds. On the one side, European, German technology, and on the other hand Chrysler design.

FLOCK: Give me a spin around this car and show me what makes this special. First of all, what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We put on that vehicle the new Chrysler face. You see the typical Chrysler face as it will be in the future. Secondly, you can see 18-inch wheels in the front, and 19-inch wheels in the back.

FLOCK: Big tires.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As big as it gets on a vehicle like that.

FLOCK: You got something curious in the back end of it, too. Now, what is this that I'm seeing here and what does this thing do on the tail end?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a deployable rear ring (ph) that comes out at 50 miles an hour to keep enough down pressure on the rear axle, so you have enough traction when you go into high-speed turns.

FLOCK: And lastly, perhaps, let's take a quick look inside the vehicle, if we can. Go ahead, pop that door open, and what about that styling on the inside?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That styling is very close to the styling that we've shown on the concept car just a year ago.

FLOCK: Yeah, this was just a year ago, this was a concept car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right. It -- we introduced that vehicle a year ago, and we put some jewelry in there to make it really precious, to make it elegant, to make it very stylish, and I think it worked out very well.

FLOCK: Well, sir, I appreciate the tour. Thank you for showing me your baby here at the North American International Auto Show here in Detroit. One of the hot new cars.

That's the latest. Jeff Flock, CNN, reporting from Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: You saw it here first.

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