Chrysler Brand Unveils Virtual Reality Experience ‘Beneath the Surface’ at LA Auto Show, Showcasing the Making of the All-new 2015 Chrysler 200

November 19, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  As the highly anticipated, all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 continues to arrive at dealerships across the country, the Chrysler brand is pushing the boundaries of virtual reality to deliver a one-of-a-kind interactive experience. Launching this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, “Beneath the Surface” is a four-minute, 4D-immersive experience using the Oculus Rift DK2 headset to highlight how the vehicle is made.
 
This past September, the Chrysler brand launched the Chrysler 200 Factory Tour, a first-of-its-kind interactive experience that allowed consumers to journey inside the 5-million-square-foot Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP), which builds the 2015 Chrysler 200. The “Beneath the Surface” experience puts consumers at the very center of it all — inside the all-new Chrysler 200 for a 4D look at how it is built as if inside the vehicle during the factory processes. The experience highlights some of the auto features that consumers don’t get to see on the showroom floor.
 
Oculus Rift DK2 is the latest development kit and headset for exploring what we can do in the virtual reality world. In Chrysler’s “Beneath the Surface,” consumers attending the Los Angeles Auto Show can take a seat in a Chrysler 200 on the auto show floor. Once the Oculus Rift DK2 headset is on, the experience comes to life with the help of a seat rumble pack and sound system that combines music, voiceover instructions and spatial sound effects.
 
The scene opens with a life-like rendering of the Chrysler 200 interior and explodes to show the beautiful anatomy of the car while the user has a few moments to look around from the driver’s seat. Interactivity with the car is done in real-time by using the headset. With the user viewing the experience from inside the 200, the audio-visual tour highlights three aspects of the building process within the plant, including:
  • The Body Shop – More than 1,000 robots work to build one automobile. In this experience, 18 state-of-the-art framing robots weld the strong frame of the car together.
  • The Paint Shop – One of the most energy-efficient and advanced paint shops yet gives the Chrysler 200 its color as well as even more durability and protection. Here users watch how the car is prepped for its paint job with the help of ostrich feathers.
  • The Metrology Center – A team of engineers and skilled tradesmen within the facility check and measure every last micron of the car to ensure the vehicle’s fit and finish. In this experience, every panel is aligned with precision.

The “Beneath the Surface” virtual reality experience was created in partnership with independent advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Portland and development partners Stopp and MPC Creative.
 
About Chrysler 200
The all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 debuts the new “face of Chrysler.” The grille and headlamps are integrated for the first time, and the updated Chrysler badge has an emphasis on the wing, which is more defined. The available full-LED daytime running lamps (DRL), LED fog lamps and standard LED tail lamps give the All-New Chrysler 200 a distinctive, recognizable look coming and going.
 
The 2015 Chrysler 200 debuts a beautiful exterior design featuring the new “face” of the Chrysler brand – a thoughtful, exquisitely crafted interior and an exceptional driving experience, complements of a segment-first nine-speed automatic transmission and an Alfa Romeo-based chassis. The all-new Chrysler 200 provides the choice of two world-class engines, an innovative all-wheel-drive system, available sport mode and paddle shifters for an engaged driving experience, and an EPA estimated highway fuel economy of 36 miles per gallon (mpg) with a 2.4L engine.
 
The all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 offers the most available safety features in the mid-size sedan segment, and state-of-the-art, easy-to-use technology that keeps drivers and passengers connected. With a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of just $21,700 (excluding $995 destination and tax, title and license).
 
Chrysler Brand
The Chrysler brand has delighted customers with distinctive designs, craftsmanship, and advanced innovation and technology since the company was founded in 1925. Chrysler continues to build on that nearly 100-year legacy of creating ingenious products and technologies for mainstream customers, moving forward on an electrified transformation that will launch the brand’s first battery-electric vehicle in 2025 and an all-electric portfolio in 2028.

The Chrysler Pacifica continues to reinvent the minivan, a segment Chrysler created 40 years ago. The Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid symbolizes the brand’s electrification evolution, representing the first electrified minivan in the segment and achieving 82 MPGe, an all-electric range of 32 miles and a total range of 520 miles. Chrysler Pacifica delivers the most standard safety features and most advanced available all-wheel-drive system in its class and is also the most awarded minivan over the last seven years with more than 175 honors and industry accolades since its introduction as a minivan.

Chrysler is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

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Diane Morgan
Office: (248) 512-0023
Cell: (248) 881-5742
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