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By
EWAN KENNEDY
17 March 2008
Lovers of outrageous car shapes can breathe a sigh of relief,
because the face of Chrysler's stunning 300C has been left
untouched in this midlife makeover. A smart move by the American
company, because only a fool or an over-brave man would have
tampered with the stunning frontal appearance.
However, while it missed out on a facelift, the big Chrysler
has received a bum tuck. All sedans now have the small wing that
was introduced in the ultra-hot SRT version. There are also
changes to the design of the tail-lights and the appearance of the
rear fascia. But this big car still looks like a Chrysler 300C and
that’s what counts to those who love outrageous machinery.
Instead of messing with the body, Chrysler, in a somewhat
European manner that has probably been left over from its one-time
ties with the Mercedes group, has concentrated on making
improvements only where these are necessary. Meaning the cabin has
been worked over in a fairly significant way.
While the styling theme remains as before, the instrument panel
has been redesigned and is now even sharper, dare we say
gangster-like, in its shape.
New materials are used in the dashboard and armrests to give
them a more refined look and feel. Especially feel, as the softer
material works nicely. We expect owners of the previous 300C are
likely to be jealous of the upmarket air thus achieved. They will
also love the use of LED lighting in areas like the drink holders
and door pockets. These not only provide practicality, but, far
more importantly achieve an interior look-at-me status that’s
important in this market segment.
Chrysler's popular MyGig entertainment package is now offered
in the 300C, letting you store your own music and pictures and
access them with ease. The convenience of satellite navigation can
be added to the overall system.
We drove the latest 300C during the press launch and again came
away impressed with the shape of the car, but not so impressed
with the comparatively small cabin in what is a large car, and
still don’t like the way the driver sits a long way back from
the windscreen.
The big V8s remain as delightful as ever and the economy is
diesel will be appreciated by long-distance users – quite a few
300Cs are making there way onto limousine fleets in major
Australian cities.
The full Chrysler 300C range, with prices (excluding on-road
costs) is:
300C 3.5-litre petrol sedan: $53,990
300C 2.0-litre diesel sedan: $58,390
300C 5.7-litre petrol sedan: $59,990
300C SRT8 6.1-litre petrol sedan: $73,990
300C Touring 3.5-litre petrol wagon: $56,990
300C Touring 2.0-litre diesel sedan: $61,390
300C Touring 5.7-litre petrol sedan: $62,990
300C Touring SRT8 6.1-litre petrol sedan: $76,990
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Marque Publishing Company
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