Chrysler PT Cruiser Grand Tourer 2005 review

The Chrysler PT Cruiser certainly looks like no other car on the road, has attracted a core of diehard fans and even spawned a club of owners.

But does it raise your pulse?

Since it was launched in 2000, it hasn't raised many pulses. Last year it sold only 974, which was 102 more than in 2003, but 120 fewer than the quirky Toyota Prius hybrid.

However, pulses may quicken now that Chrysler has replaced the two-litre engine with a 5kW more powerful 2.4 unit. Power is now up to 105kW at 5200rpm and torque up 14 per cent to 214Nm at 4000rpm, but it's still no hotrod.

Launch from the lights is prompt, but overtaking power is a little slow on stream and it struggles under load and on steep gradients.

The engine sounds noisy and harsh, but transmission vibration has been reduced by twin-counter rotating balance shafts that smooth out the four-stroke beats.

Chrysler doesn't seem to have upgraded the clutch to account for the extra power and torque, so you get a bit of shudder until you master matching engine revs to road speed.

The light clutch may be handy for some drivers, but it makes smooth driving a needless chore.

Fans of retro styling will admire the attention to detail, such as old-style chrome door handles with push buttons and the abundance of chrome inside.

But the now-leather steering wheel is a little too old-fashioned with tilt-only adjustment and no audio controls, despite the volume knob being way over on the left for American left-hand-drive.

The upright stance of the car is reflected in the interior accommodation which is high and straight.

While there are 32 different seating configurations thanks to split rear seating, there is only room for four adults or two adults and three small children. However, legroom is quite good.

New for 2005 is a Grand Tourer (GT) edition with performance suspension and tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels.

The combination helps control the daunting understeer of this front-wheel-drive machine.

Other new touches include a body coloured rear roof mounted spoiler, silver shift knob, leather steering wheel, overhead console, front and rear fog lights, electronic touch pad on the boot and stalk cruise control as standard on all models except the manual Classic model.

All models (Grand Tourer, Classic and Limited) offer manual or automatic gearbox.

Standard safety equipment includes front and side driver and passenger airbags, low-speed traction control and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes.

Options include a security alarm, sunroof and new exterior and interior colours.