With the original Concorde, the interior design was spacious and creative, but it lacked the level of refinement one might expect from the car's Japanese competition. With the '99 Concorde, there's been a notable upgrade in the quality of the materials used. Colors match well, and gaps have been minimized. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the space where doors and dashboard come together. On the old cars, this used to be a yawning chasm.The Concorde comes standard with front bucket seats, though a 6-passenger model with a front bench is available. The buckets have been improved in the new model. They provide better back and lateral support and the detailing of the fabric is world class. There's an optional leather package, as one would expect. For those who believe big is better, it's hard to find anything to compete with the Concorde. The cab-forward concept puts a tight squeeze under the hood but maximizes passenger space. In this case, you're getting nearly a full-size interior on a midsize wheelbase. And as we hinted at before, the redesigned Concorde delivers an extra 2.8 inches of rear legroom. Rear seats are not only spacious but comfortable. If we have a complaint, it's the lack of a shoulder belt for the rear center occupant and the lack of side airbags. Also, Chrysler has eliminated its optional integrated child safety seat. Apparently there just weren't enough takers. If there's a downside to the Concorde's sleek exterior styling it's the fact that visibility is slightly reduced. It takes some time to get the feel of the front end to know precisely where the out-of-sight front bumper is. And it takes a bit of getting used to the view out of the small rear window, too. We like the overhead console featuring a compass, outside temperature gauge and maplights.
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