Eagle Talon

Name	Eagle Talon
Manufacturer	Diamond-Star MotorsMitsubishi Motors Corporation
Parent company	Chrysler Corporation
Class	Sport compact
Production	1990-1998
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive
Body style	3-door liftback
Assembly	Normal, Illinois, USA
Transmission	5-speed manual4-speed automatic

The Eagle Talon was one of three model names given to a sports coupe that was manufactured between 1989 and 1999 and sold by the then Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors of Japan in a joint 50/50 corporate venture known as Diamond-Star Motors (DSM). The Talon was sold under the Eagle marque, a brand developed by Chrysler to compete with Japanese imports in the late 1980s after purchasing American Motors (AMC) in 1987. Chrysler dropped the legacy line of AMC cars and renamed the distribution of Jeeps, the Medallion captive import, as well as the new Premier, under newly established Jeep-Eagle Division as a way to increase Jeep production and focus more money on marketing. The new "Eagle marketing umbrella" also developed versions of vehicles produced by Diamond Star, including the Talon sports coupe. The other two sister models were the Eclipse (sold by Mitsubishi) and the Laser (sold by Plymouth, another Chrysler brand).

Characteristics

All three vehicles were built on the same platform at the DSM manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. All three vehicles were mechanically identical (when comparing the same option level) including engine, transmission, and drivetrain. Cosmetically, differences between the three were found in wheels, availability of colors, tail lights, front and rear bumpers, and spoilers. The primary way to establish the identity of an Eagle Talon is its two-tone body color - the 'greenhouse' (roof, pillars, door-mounted mirrors) was always black regardless of the body color (Note: 1G Eclipses with a 2.0 L engine also have black 'greenhouse' roofs). The basic characteristics of the Eagle Talon are:

Two doors

Hatchback

2+2 seating (2 front seats and 2 marginal, fold down rear seats)

Front-wheel drive (FWD) for all option levels except for the top option level, which had all-wheel drive (AWD)

5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions

Two-tone color combination as described above

Hood bulge on the left-hand side of the car in order to provide adequate clearance for the camshaft sprockets/timing belt cover on the 4G63 engine (Note: the base model DL did not use this engine but still had a bulge as evident in the 1992 Talon brochure. 2nd Generation cars all had such a bulge, even with the inclusion of the 420A engine.

First generation

Name	First generation
Production	1990-1994
Aka	Plymouth Laser Mitsubishi Eclipse
Wheelbase
Length	1990-91: 1990-91 TSi: 1992-94:
Width	1990–91: TSi and AWD: 1992-94:
Height	AWD & 1990-91 TSi:
Platform	BD-body
Engine	1.8 L Mitsubishi 4G37 I42.0 L Mitsubishi 4G63 I42.0 L Mitsubishi 4G63T I4
Related	Mitsubishi EclipseMitsubishi Galant

The first generation Talon was released in mid-1989 as a 1990 model and ran through 1994. This era of DSM vehicles is commonly referred to as the first generation, or "1G" for short. However, there were two 1G styles. The "1GA" models of 1990–1991 featured pop-up headlights lights and a "6-bolt" engine, while the "1GB" model of 1992–1994 featured composite style headlights with integrated turn signals.

The 1993–1994 base model DL was front-wheel drive and used a 92-horsepower 1.8 L engine (4G37). The ES model (or just the base Talon before 1993) sported a naturally aspirated 2.0 L 135 hp Mitsubishi 4G63 engine. The TSi and TSi AWD models used the same engine but added an intercooled Mitsubishi 14b turbocharger producing 11.06 psi of peak boost from the factory, resulting in on TSi AWD models. The front-drive TSi produced only 190 due to a more restrictive exhaust system, and the automatics produced 180 due to a 13g turbo.

The "six-bolt" engine on all Talons built before April 1992 refers to the number of bolts connecting the flywheel to the crankshaft. All 1G Talons built after April 1992.5 received a freer revving "7-bolt" engine borrowed from the 1992 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution's lighter rods and seven-bolt crankshaft.

The Eagle Talon was consistently featured on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1990–1992.

1G trim levels

base - 1990-1992

TSi - 1990-1994

TSi AWD - 1990-1994

DL - 1993-1994

ES - 1993-1995

Production numbers

1989: 10

1990: 32,708

1991: 33,537

1992: 27,945

1993: 26,740

1994: 24,040

Second generation

Name	Second generation
Production	1995-1999
Aka	Mitsubishi Eclipse
Platform	PJ-body
Engine	2.0 L 420A I42.0 L Mitsubishi 4G63T I4
Length	1995-96: 1997-99:
Wheelbase
Width	1995-96: 1997-99: ESi:
Height	AWD:
Related	Chrysler Sebring coupeDodge AvengerMitsubishi EclipseMitsubishi Galant

The second generation (or "2G") Eagle Talon was introduced in 1995 simultaneously with its Mitsubishi Eclipse counterpart, while the Plymouth Laser model was eliminated. Mechanically, the new Talon and Eclipse models were almost identical with the engines in the turbocharged versions receiving a modest increase in output thanks to a redesigned intake and exhaust and new turbocharger. The new T25 turbocharger, provided by Garrett, had boost increased to 12 psi of peak boost and was smaller than the previous Mitsubishi built 14b turbo that was on 1G models. The T25 did spool up faster than the previous turbocharger in order to increase the turbo response or reduce turbo lag. The other important change concerned the suspension. While the 1G had struts in the front, the 2G had double-wishbone at all four corners. This gave the 2G a much better roll-camber curve in the front, allowing for much better handling. From an aesthetic standpoint, the differences between the Eagle Talon car and its Mitsubishi equivalent were somewhat more substantial than exhibited in the first generation models. These differences were most obvious at the rear of the car. For example, the rear fascia of the Talon featured a bumper cap with a dip in the middle to allow for a high-mounted rear license plate; rear light clusters incorporating amber turn signals (the Eclipse used red turn signals); reverse lights as part of the main rear tail light clusters (the Eclipse's reverse lights were mounted separately and lower around the mid-mounted license plate); and a sickle-shaped rear spoiler for the TSi and TSi AWD version mounted at the base of the rear window that was painted black regardless of body color (the Eclipse used a body colored, conventional "basket handle" spoiler mounted on the rear deck). Other differences included the air intake beneath the front bumper, which did not have a body-colored splitter (minor difference), and the absence of side skirts. Also, the hard-top Talon featured a black roof while the Eclipse had a body colored top.

s, integral reverse lights, and bumper cap comprise the rear fascia that is unique to the Eagle Talon.]]

For model year 1997, a design update occurred for both the Talon and the Eclipse that is sometimes referred to as "2Gb". The update was primarily limited to the non-metal portions of the car. The front and rear fascias were heavily revised to incorporate more aggressive looking features. At the front, a larger air intake was created and the "Eagle" emblem was enlarged and embossed into the center of the bumper cap (as opposed to a badge that inset into a similarly shaped hole). At the rear, a new high-mount spoiler was introduced that projected further into the airstream, replacing the flush-mounted sickle spoiler. Added plastic moldings on the bumper caps and doors completed the revisions to the body. Lastly, on the TSi and TSi AWD models the aluminum wheels were increased to rims and incorporated more angles replacing the curved 5-spoke wheel. Another important, non-cosmetic change concerned the driveline. There was a slight change in gear ratios and the number of splines on the shaft feeding power to the transfer case was altered.

The TSi and TSi AWD models again featured an intercooled turbocharged engine, now replacing the 14B Mitsubishi turbo with a Garrett T25 model. Although the T25 was a smaller turbo, it spooled faster at a lower RPM resulting in increased low end acceleration performance. The TSi AWD model retained the All Wheel Drive drivetrain system.

Engines

ESi - 2.0 L DOHC 2.0 L Chrysler Neon non-turbo I4, 140 hp (104 kW) at 6000 rpm and 130 ft·lbf (176 N·m) at 4800 rpm

TSi / TSi AWD manual transmission - DOHC 2.0 L Mitsubishi 4G63 turbo I4, 210 hp (156 kW) at 6000 rpm and 205 ft·lbf (290 N·m) at 3000 rpm

TSi / TSi AWD automatic transmission - DOHC 2.0 L Mitsubishi 4G63 turbo I4, 205 hp (152 kW) at 6000 rpm and 220 ft·lbf (298 N·m) at 3000 rpm

Production numbers

1995: 25,056

1996: 15,100

1997: 9,788

1998: 4,307

End of the Talon

By November 1998, the Talon was the last model in the declining Eagle lineup and the rarest Talon model year. Amid declining sales, Chrysler management decided to stop promoting the Eagle brand and in 1998 stopped production of the Eagle Talon. The last one rolled off the assembly line on February 10, 1998.

Eagle Jazz

In 1994, a concept car called the Eagle Jazz was developed for the 1995 automobile show circuit. "It was a sporty sedan with a rounded hatchback tail. Built into that was a hatch-within-a-hatch, so a driver could easily open the rear end to store cargo." It was considered by some to have "a strange resemblance to a 4-door Eagle Talon".

Legacy

Some of the Eagle Jazz concept design and ideas resurfaced in the second-generation Chrysler Concorde.

The TSi nameplate, appeared on Jeep's Grand Cherokee for the 1997 and 1998 model year. The model, which was the sportier among the Jeep Grand Cherokee line-up (with the exception of the 5.9 Limited) featured trim reminiscent of Talon's TSi model, including a similar Indigo blue trim and monochromatic scheme found on the Talon. The TSi reappeared once again, as a high-performance model for the Chrysler Sebring sedan, for the 2005 and 2006 year model

See also

Mitsubishi Eclipse

Plymouth Laser

Dodge Stratus

Chrysler Sebring (coupe)

Diamond-Star Motors

References

Talon Category:Compact cars Category:Front wheel drive vehicles Category:All wheel drive vehicles Category:Hatchbacks Category:1990s automobiles Category:Vehicles introduced in 1990