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By
EWAN KENNEDY
27 February 2006
Let's talk about the styling first, because we’ve
yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want to discuss it in detail as soon as
they see this new Chrysler. The 300C is big, bold and deliberately
different in its squared-off aggression. It’s all sharp angles and
positive lines, from its huge egg-crate grille, over the chop-top style
roof, to its square boot. Blokes just love this car and the word ‘gangster’
came up more than once…
The blokes are also very impressed by its
relatively low price and the fact that it can do an excellent job
as a family car.
But we got a surprise when the ‘everyday
driver’ member of our test team, my wife Shirley, who has
absolutely no interest in things like exhaust notes, steering
precision, throttle control and other items much loved by driving
enthusiasts, made her decision on the Chrysler.
Given the choice of the 300C or a large, diesel-engined
4WD to drive to her exercise class this morning, she walked
straight past the American machine. "It’s like a tank to
drive," she muttered, "I don’t like it".
Which has to be a warning to the blokes;
partners who are willing to put up with a lot on the automotive
front to keep their husbands happy may well draw the line at this
one.
In the driving seat of the 300C you’re a long
way from the front of the car. Firstly there's a large dashtop
that’s almost to people-mover dimensions, then a small
letter-box windscreen, followed by a very long bonnet. You do seem
to be a long way from the action and we can understand some not
liking the sensation.
It’s much the same when you look backwards,
the tail’s a long way away and, despite its height, is not
visible from the driving seat. However, a lot of the guesswork is
removed by the parking sensors that are fitted as standard.
The big Chrysler has good legroom, headroom and
shoulder space for four large adults. There's sufficient width in
the centre of the rear seat for another one, though the
transmission tunnel probably means its most comfortably occupied
by a child.
It comes as no surprise that there's a huge boot
under that big square tail. It has a nicely regular shape and can
carry bulky items with ease. But there's a long stretch under the
back window to reach the far end of the boot.
Versatility is another feature, the rear-seat
backrest can be folded down, in a 60/40 split, to permit long
loads to be carried.
The 300C's Hemi engine is an old-style pushrod,
two-valve number, but high-tech cylinder-head design and a
sophisticated engine management system give it plenty of punch
without using too much fuel.
Not that it’s economical in absolute terms.
Despite running for most of the time on only four of its eight
cylinders during easy motorway cruising, it still managed to
consume 11 to 13 litres per hundred kilometres during that stage
of our test period. That quickly rose to the wrong side of 15
litres per hundred in suburban work.
A five-speed automatic transmission with manual
overrides takes power to the back wheels. It’s smooth and
pleasant to sit behind and the oodles of torque produced by the
big-cube V8 means it has a pretty easy life.
Australian 300Cs have what Chrysler calls ‘international’
specifications in their suspension. But there are still fairly
strong traces of traditional American feel. The dampers take
longer than Australians are accustomed to stop oscillations
following bumps and dips in the road. And there's some lateral
movement of the body on the suspension before the Chrysler changes
direction. None of this is anywhere near as extreme as in American
cars of yesteryear.
The comfort offered by this big American sedan
will make all but the most enthusiastic of Australian drivers
enjoy the easy cruising that’s the chief feature of the 300C's
suspension setup.
Road grip is comparatively high and there's
plenty of safety built into the traction-control-assisted
suspension setup.
The Chrysler 300C comes to Australia at a very
reasonable starting price of just $53,990. That’s for the
3.5-litre V6 engine, but almost all private buyers are paying an
additional $6000 to get the Hemi 5.7-litre V8. Not all that extra
money goes into the bigger engine, the interior also features
genuine timber inserts in the interior trim that add to the ‘gangster
car’ image, as well as an upgraded Boston Acoustic audio system
with a six-CD changer.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
300C 3.5-litre four-door sedan - $53,990
300C Hemi 5.7-litre four-door sedan - $59,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on both models
Air Conditioning: Standard on both models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on both models
CD Player: Standard on both models
Central Locking: Standard on both models
Cruise Control: Standard on both models
Driver Airbag: Standard on both models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on both models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on both models
SPECIFICATIONS (Chrysler 300C Hemi 5.7-litre
four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 5.654 litres
Configuration: Longitudinal V8
Head Design: OHV, two valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 9.6:1
Bore/Stroke: 99.5 x 90.9mm
Maximum Power: 250kW @ 5000rpm
Maximum Torque: 525Nm @ 4000rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Five-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 2.82:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4999mm
Wheelbase: 3048mm
Width: 1881mm
Height: 1483mm
Turning Circle: 11.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1873kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 71 litres
Towing Ability: 1725kg with braked trailer
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, double wishbones, coil springs,
gas-filled shock absorbers
Rear Suspension: Independent, five-link, coil springs, gas-filled
shock absorbers
Front Brakes: Ventilated Disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 6.6 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 14.6 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
City Cycle: 15.7 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 9.9 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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