In crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 200 sedan earned the top score, Good, across all categories. Accordingly, the car is an IIHS Top Safety Pick — a distinction several competitors share. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet tested the car. Standard features include the usual complement of front, side and curtain airbags, as well as active head restraints, antilock brakes and an electronic stability system. Click here for a full list.

With a starting price of just $19,245, the base 200 LX packs impressive value. It's one of just three family cars you can get with an automatic for under $20,000 — the others being the Nissan Altima and the 200's Avenger sibling. Remote entry, cruise control, air conditioning and a CD stereo with an MP3 jack and steering-wheel audio controls are also standard.

Move up to the 200's Touring and Limited trims and you can get a power driver's seat, an iPod-compatible Boston Acoustics stereo, a navigation system, heated leather upholstery and a moonroof. A V-6 Limited sedan tops out around $27,000. That's less than optioned-out competitors, but the 200 sedan doesn't offer things like dual-zone climate control or a power passenger seat, which most of them do.

As of this writing, there are few details and no pricing information yet on the forthcoming 200 S, which will slot above the Limited. The 200 convertible, meanwhile, comes in Touring and Limited trims. Prices range from $26,445 for the soft-top four-cylinder Touring to around $35,000 for a loaded hardtop V-6 Limited.