Eagle Talon -- Not Rain, Sleet Or Snow Can Stop This Sports Coupe

Cold, rain, sleet, snow: Take your choice. It may be time to put the sports coupe on blocks in the garage and haul out the Jeep, Explorer or Blazer utility vehicle.

Unless your sports coupe is an Eagle Talon with four-wheel drive, in which case you have a year-round multipurpose machine at your disposal.

When the sun is shining and the roads are clear, the Talon is a sports coupe that leaps from the light.

When the roads are rain-soaked or snow-covered, Talon is a utility vehicle that pulls you through. No need to throw a tarp over it and sit back and wait for spring.

We test-drove the top-of-the-line Talon TSi all-wheel-drive model. The 2-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder develops 135 horsepower in the base model and generates a kick-in-the-pants 195 horsepower with the turbocharged TSi.

All-wheel-drive road-holding ability complemented the power, and four-wheel anti-lock brakes were a safeguard to keep it under control. Anti-lock brakes are a $681 option.

A 5-speed manual is standard, but our test car came with the optional 4-speed automatic at a hefty $823. There was no loss of performance, no feeling of being shortchanged in the oomph department with the smooth-shifting, quiet automatic. And the 4-speed automatic is welcome when confronted with rush-hour traffic in a 195-horsepower car.

The all-wheel-drive Talon is rated at 18 miles per gallon city/21 mpg highway with automatic (20/25 with 5-speed manual), roughly comparable to a utility vehicle's mileage. The price you pay for four-wheel drive is more frequent visits to the pump, which is somewhat irritating in July but welcome in January.

Though long on looks and performance, the Talon has a few shortcomings. The rear-seat room in this sloping hatchback prevents adult entry and the cargo compartment will barely hold one meal's supply of groceries. The rear-seat backs fold to provide needed storage. Dual cup holders are in the center console between driver and front passenger and are difficult to use. Holders that pull from the dash would work better.

Base price of the Talon TSi 4WD model is $16,513. Standard equipment includes performance suspension; power brakes and steering; all-season, 16-inch, steel-belted radials and alloy wheels; rear-window defogger; automatic-off headlamps; driving lamps; intermittent wipers; power mirrors; tilt steering; tinted glass; AM/FM stereo with cassette and six speakers; automatic shoulder belts; carpeting; leather-wrapped wheel and gearshift lever; and wraparound spoiler.

Our test car added the $681 anti-lock brakes, $823 automatic and $163 security alarm, plus a preferred equipment group for $1,588 that included air conditioning, speed control, rear-window washer/wiper, power windows/door locks. The sticker reads $19,768, plus $328 for freight.

The Talon is built at the Chrysler/Mitsubishi Diamond-Star plant in Normal, Ill., along with the companion Plymouth Laser and Mitsubishi Eclipse. Illinois might not produce the most cars, but it can boast it builds some of the best.

-- TEST DRIVE POLICY: Test drives are done by nationally recognized auto writers supplied by Times news services. Jim Mateja is an automotive writer for The Chicago Tribune.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

1991 EAGLE

TALON TSi

Sports coupe

ENGINE

2-liter

16-valve

4-cylinder

turbocharged

DRIVE

All-wheel

TRANSMISSION

5-speed manual

4-speed automatic

FUEL ECONOMY

20 mpg city

25 mpg highway

BASE PRICE

$16,513.

OBSERVATIONS

-- Standard features

Performance suspension; power brakes and steering; all-season, 16-inch, steel-belted radials and alloy wheels; rear-window defogger; automatic-off headlamps; driving lamps; intermittent wipers; power mirrors; tilt steering; tinted glass; AM/FM stereo with cassette and six speakers; automatic shoulder belts; carpeting; leather-wrapped wheel and gearshift lever; and wraparound spoiler.

-- Transmission

A quiet, smooth-shifting 4-speed automatic is optional, with no loss of performance, welcome when confronted with rush-hour traffic