Year of Chrysler LHS

The Chrysler LHS is a full-size, front wheel drive car based on the Chrysler LH platform. It was Chrysler's flagship model from 1994 to 2001.

Having been praised throughout its production run as offering a blend of high end luxury and features, along with solid performance, the LHS was said[by whom?] to rival others costing thousands more. The first generation LHS was said[by whom?] to have an overall package (of both luxury and performance) very reminiscent of a higher end European car. Ironically, many automotive journalists stated that Chrysler's flagship car could be easily mistaken for something German. This was just a few years before Chrysler Corporation's partnering with Daimler-Benz.

Originally released in 1994, a year after the Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision were released, the LH 207 (Chrysler LHS and New Yorker) used a version of the LH platform with a five-inch (127 mm) longer body, and took the place of the Imperial as the largest and most luxurious car in Chrysler's range and viewed as its "flagship" model. While the wheelbase of all the LH models remained the same, the 5 inch longer body allowed the engineers to push the rear seat even farther back. This gave the LHS an almost limo-like rear seat room, analogous to the various stretched "L" models from BMW or Mercedes. A very similar New Yorker model was also built as a replacement for the New Yorker Fifth Avenue and New Yorker Salon. From 1994 on, all three Chrysler LH models used the mid-level "Touring" suspension. An even stiffer "Performance" setting was an available option on the Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision.

The Concorde, which differed substantially more, was seen as the base full-size Chrysler. The six-passenger LHS was differentiated from its counter part chrome trimmed sibling, the Chrysler New Yorker, by a floor console and shifter, an upgraded interior and a sportier image. The New Yorker was dropped in favor of a six-passenger option on the 1997 LHS. The LHS received a minor face change in 1995 where the Pentastar was changed in favor of Chrysler's current medallion logo.

Being the top-of-the-line Chrysler, many features came standard on the LHS, many were only options on its siblings. These included a 3.5L EGJ 24-valve 214hp (160kW) V6 engine, body-colored grille, side mirrors and trim, traction control, aluminum wheels, integrated fog lights, and 8-way power adjustable front seats. Like the New Yorker, leather seats were an option, a velour-like cloth coming standard. The LHS's leather mimicked the gathered style of its cloth seats, and projected a more expensive look than the New Yorker's more traditionally styled leather.

It should be noted that the first generation LHS was praised by motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson, who is well known for criticizing American automobiles but described the LHS as "by global standards, right up there with the best."