Upgrades afforded the brand new Chrysler 300 take it to another plane in the brand’s history and put it that much closer to
the Germans. While it might not yet
match the Huns, there are rivals who
should be worried. In fact, from what we can see, it now looks like a very
close competitor to the Lexus GS.
When the old 300 C first came out we loved how “gangsta” it looked; that massive front grille, big chrome wheels, relatively small side windows and deep boot. Unfortunately
the interior did not meet our expectations as it only presented mostly what was
left over from Mercedes-Benz’s old parts
bin.
So when Chrysler ironed out the gangstaness, it also
introduced new levels of luxury and perceived quality, especially inside. As you can see for yourself, this is a
far cry from the previous-generation
in terms of leathers used, colours,
plastics, dials and so on. A Natural
Pore Mocha wood trim in a matte
finish is one of the highlights, alongside some really impressive stitching and well-designed bits like
the rear seats.
You know Sergio Marchione’s influence is now supreme law when Chrysler’s press
statement says “the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series combines ultra-premium leather - once limited to
some of the most exotic Italian
luxury cars - with world-class
refinement and handling.”
Powertrain is spearheaded by two engines, a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 and a 5.7-litre HEMI V8. Both are naturally
aspirated and available with a ZF-built 8-speed
automatic gearbox. The V6 produces 215kW
and is said to return an average of 10.2
litres per 100km in fuel. The big V8 on the other hand, delivers 267kW. Both send power to the rear
wheels but can be offered in all-wheel-drive (AWD) in some markets.
2 comments:
Much better effort this time around. Quite an elegant look inside and out. Pity it's still the same old engines. I would have liked to see some new turbos in there, maybe a 3 litre with a supercharger blowing something like 230 KW or so instead of this V6?
Good looks and design
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