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And the Gremlin begot the Spirit, and the Spirit begot the Eagle. Then American Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. became one, and the Eagle flew the coup.

Then Chrysler joined with Mitsubishi and the two begot the Laser and the Eclipse. Those two having nothing better to do begot the Talon, which brought the Eagle back to roost.

Little wonder Lee Iacocca makes so much money. Just keeping track of all those begots would drive a lesser man to drink.

To get it straight, AMC brought out a subcompact Gremlin that was replaced by the subcompact Spirit. AMC then decided that as long as it had all that four-wheel-drive technology from Jeep operations it should put the equipment in a car. The four-wheel-drive Eagle version of the Spirit was born. Soon after acquiring AMC, Iacocca dropped the Eagle. But he, too, decided that four-wheel-drive technology from Jeep could be used in a car and so he dictated that the Plymouth Laser built at the Diamond-Star joint venture plant with Mitsubishi be the basis for a four-wheel-drive cousin, Talon. Diamond- Star, in Downstate Normal, also builds the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

The 1990 Talon is going to be sold through Chrysler`s Jeep-Eagle division beginning in July. It will be offered in regular front-wheel-drive Eagle Talon and Eagle Talon TSi versions and in a top-of-the-line Eagle Talon TSi AWD, or all-wheel drive, version.

We test drove the Eagle Talon TSi AWD. Though it owes its four-wheel- drive heritage to the AMC Eagle, it`s evident that Talon is a direct descendant of the Plymouth Laser.

To keep consumers from confusing the Talon with the Laser, Chrysler had a bunch of eagle head logos implanted on hood, deck lid and door sills along with the Eagle Talon name boldly printed on the car`s wraparound taillight. Body-colored plastic rocker moldings and a wraparound rear deck lid spoiler also vary the styling from the Laser.

It`s good to see a four-wheel-drive car from Chrysler. But Laser/Eclipse/ Talon certainly represent what the industry calls badge engineering, in which about the only thing that separates one car from the other is the nameplate. And the badges will grow by one with the announcement by Mitsubishi that the Eclipse soon will be joined by the Eclipse GSX turbo AWD.

Talon is offered in three series: the base model with a 2-liter, 135- horsepower, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine teamed with 5-speed manual as standard, 4-speed automatic as an option; the TSi with a 2-liter, 190-h.p., 16-valve, turbocharged 4; and the TSi AWD with a 195-h.p., turbocharged2- liter and 5-speed only.

The TSi AWD we drove claims a 0-to-60 mile-an-hour time of 6.6 seconds and an EPA rating of 20 miles per gallon city/25 m.p.g. highway.

Like the Laser (Autos, Jan. 23), the Talon is solid and quiet and the 2- liter, turbocharged 4 is very quick. No turbo whistle as a distraction. Talon bolts from the light and with e ach gear provides a sudden rush of power that keeps building until you glance at the speedometer and start looking for cars with mars lights on the roof.

The four-wheel-drive Eagle Talon comes only with 5-speed manual. Chrysler said it`s working on an automatic that will handle the torque from the 195 h.p. engine. A 4-speed automatic is scheduled to be added in the 1991 model year.

The four-wheel-drive Eagle Talon rides, appropriately, on 16-inch Goodyear Eagle GT + 4 all-season radial tires. Good pavement huggers. The sports suspension, fully independent in the rear, provides a firm ride and level cornering with minimal road harshness transmitted back through the seat or wheel. Fast ratio power steering contributes to the car`s easy maneuverability.

The four-wheel-drive is a full-time unit, no transfer case or locking hubs to fool with. If it weren`t for “all-wheel drive“ decals, there`s no telltale signs that the Talon is anything other than a two-wheel-drive model. To accommodate the hardware, the body was raised only 0.6 of an inch.

With all four wheels dedicated to the same task, Talon had total control on wet roads and should be a pleasure for the security it offers in the snow. And with the turbo 4 generating 195 h.p., the traction and road holding ability of four-wheel drive comes in handy when the pavement is dry.

With only 0.6 of an inch in added height, you might think twice about off-road or sandy terrain unless you bring along a Jeep Cherokee to pull it out once you`ve sunk to the axles.

But that mere 0.6 inch added height does have a major advantage over the sky high boost given to most four-wheel-drive utility vehicles to make room for the hardware and to allow off roading clearance. The 0.6-inch rise in Talon means you don`t have to fight the higher center of gravity and subsequent lean in a corners or turns at speed.

The Eagle Talon has attractive looks, above average performance, four- wheel-drive security and respectable fuel economy.

Yet there are a few changes we`d like to see. To accommodate the four- wheel-drive hardware, Chrysler repositioned the fuel tank under the trunk floor, raising it 5.9 inches. The mini-spare tire sits atop that raised floor. So there`s little cargo carrying room left. Groceries won`t balance easily on the raised mini-spare. Back to the drawing board to find some room.

The rear seat backs fold down to provide some added cargo carrying space, which is probably the best thing that could be done with those rear seats because they provide precious little room to hold humans. Rear seat leg room is almost nonexistent for adults. Head room, thanks to the slope of the roof, is torture.

A few other annoyances could be fixed. The parking brake handle resting along the center console is about as big as a baseball bat; the console holds a dual cup holder positioned too far in back of the driver and front seat occupant; and for those who smoke, the ashtray cover opens toward the user, blocking access.

We`d also like to see a spring-held rather than prop-held hood as well as a clearer indication of where the oil filter is located.

Standard equipment in the Eagle Talon includes power brakes and steering, tilt steering, intermittent wipers, remote hatch and fuel filler door releases, all-season tires, stainless steel exhaust, retractable headlamps, dual remote power mirrors, tinted glass, rear window defroster, split fold- down rear seats, dual visor vanity mirrors and AM stereo/FM stereo with cassette.

Because the car doesn`t officially goon sale until July, there`s no firm starting or option prices. It is expected, however, that the base Talon will start at about $13,000, the TSi at $15,000 and the four-wheel-drive version about $18,000.

Air conditioning probably will run about $775, automatic in the nonturbo version $668 and rear window wiper, a highly recommended option, $125.

>> 1990 Eagle Talon TSi Wheelbase: 97.2 inches Length: 170.5 inches Engine: 2-liter, 195 h.p., turbo floor Transmission: 5-speed manual Fuel economy: 20/25 m.p.g. Base price: $18,000 Strong point: Styling, 4-wheel drive security Weak point: No automatic >>