A month after the North American International Auto Show (Detroit auto show), the car that seems most significant to me is the Chrysler 200. While the 2013 Dodge Dart and 2014 Jeep Cherokee were the first joint products of Chrysler and Fiat, the 2015 200 must compete in the critical midsize sedan segment. Will it be able to?

Though I haven’t yet driven the car, some strengths and weaknesses are readily apparent. The exterior is attractively sleek, if perhaps similar to the increasing number of midsize sedans with sweeping, coupe-like roof lines. A highly styled, well-finished interior separates the new 200 more from the herd. Unlike with the Ford Fusion, the top trim level is offered in a color other than black. Interior space is much less impressive. There’s a decent amount of it up front, but the rear seat would be average at best among current compact sedans. Hiproom is a bit tight, and headroom is in short supply.

Two engines will be offered, a 184-horsepower four-cylinder and a 295-horsepower V6, the latter the strongest in the segment. Both will be paired with the nine-speed automatic transmission introduced n the Cherokee. An all-wheel-drive system capable of shunting up to 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels will be standard with the V6. So the V6-powered car should be quick, even with the heftiest curb weight in the segment (3,473 lbs. with the base powertrain, and over 3,700 with the V6). A handling and ride evaluation will require some time on the road. The related Dodge Dart is good but not great in these areas.

So, we have a car that looks good and should perform well, but that isn’t quite a midsize sedan in terms of interior space. Will the former outweigh the latter for enough buyers? We’ll find out later this year.