Eagle Talon Overview

When it comes to designing and marketing sport coupes, automakers know it's a jungle out there. They all need to make their cars faster, sleeker and ever-more powerful than the competition does, and it's a never-ending battle. Which is why, upon hearing that the Chrysler/Mitsubishi Diamond-Star partnership was redesigning the Eagle Talon/ Mitsubishi Eclipse for 1995, the most appropriate response seemed to be: "What took you so long?"

But after we had a chance to drive the beefed-up, turbocharged 1995 all-wheel-drive (AWD) Talon TSi, we'd like to amend our response to, "It was worth the wait." In the turbocharged TSi and TSi AWD 5-speed versions, the talon's 2.0-liter, 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder engine is powered by 210 unruly horses - a 15-hp increase over the 1994 model - which more than makes up for the car's 200 lb. weight increase.

As well as the TSi and TSi AWD, the Talon is available in the base ESi.

Our Talon TSi AWD test model had a base price of $20,335 and was stocked with standard equipment that included (obviously) all-wheel drive, 4-wheel disc brakes, speed-sensitive power rack-and-pinion steering, power door locks/windows/mirrors, electronic speed control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and rear split folding seat.

Our test car was also equipped with an option package that included air conditioning, front floor mats, power driver's seat, power sunroof and a CD player with six speakers. Other options were leather low-back front bucket seats and leather rear bench seat, anti-lock brakes and limited-slip differential. All of these goodies brought the price of our car up to $23,826.