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By
EWAN KENNEDY
30 October 2006
The Chrysler 300C is selling up a storm in Australia, often topping its
class in the upmarket sales stakes, so it makes sense for it to offer a
model with a turbo-diesel engine. Thus upstaging its arch rivals Ford
and Holden by becoming the first diesel engine in today’s
under-$100,000 luxury-car class in Australia.
Borrowed from Mercedes-Benz, the engine used by
Chrysler is a 3.0-litre V6 common-rail diesel. It is relatively
light in weight as it uses aluminium cylinder heads and block.
It has a variable-geometry turbocharger to give
it more efficient running at a variety of engine speeds. A
3.0-litre engine with a turbo is roughly the equivalent of a
5.0-litre non-turbo powerplant.
So it comes as no surprise that the performance
figures from the diesel engine are closer to those of the
5.7-litre hemi-V8 version than to the base-model Chrysler 300C
with its 3.5-litre V6 petrol-power.
Acceleration figures for the diesel are
impressive, it takes 8.6 seconds to accelerate from standstill to
100 km/h, compared with 9.9 seconds for the 3.5 litre petrol V6.
The big grunt V8 is, naturally, the winner taking just under seven
seconds for the 100 km/h sprint.
Economy is, of course, the real story with any
turbo-diesel engine. The Mercedes/Chrysler unit uses only about
two-thirds as much fuel as the V8 and about a quarter less than
the 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine.
During our test period we found the Chrysler
diesel used about eight to nine litres per 100 km, in country
driving. That figure rising to a still-respectable 10 to 11 litres
per hundred when used in suburban conditions.
From the driver’s seat the turbo-diesel 300C
really doesn’t feel altogether different to a petrol engined
car. There's just a hint of diesel rattle at idle, but underway it’s
quiet and refined. That glorious surge of torque that’s such a
feature of diesel engines is a pleasure to experience. Though, as
always, the grunt fades when the engine’s not doing much over
4000 rpm.
Styling remains the biggest reason of all for
the success of the Chrysler 300C. The big ‘gangster’ car
immensely impressing most who see it – though there's a small
band out there who say they really hate the looks.
There's nothing wrong with that; any designer
worth their salt will tell you that while they would like everyone
to love their products, the one thing they don’t want is for the
public not to have an opinion.
This Chrysler is a big car and it really feels
like it from the driving seat. You’re a long way from the front
of the 300C. 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. Driving in tight traffic can feel
awkward at first but you soon get used to planning your moves.
It’s much the same when you look backwards,
the tail’s a long way back and, despite its height, is not
visible from the driving seat. However, much of the guesswork is
removed by the standard parking sensors.
The big Chrysler has good legroom, headroom and
shoulder space for four adults, though we feel the rear seat could
be larger in a car of this size. There's sufficient width in the
centre of the back seat for a fifth adult, though the transmission
tunnel gets in the way of foot space so it’s probably best to
consider the seat as a kid spot.
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
front of the boot. The rear-seat backrest can be folded down, in a
60/40 split, to enable long loads to be carried.
Ride comfort remains good and there's no real
feeling of having a heavy diesel engine up front. That’s partly
because of the lightweight materials used, but also due to the
fact that the car has been designed to cope with a big V8 in the
first place.
A car of this size is never going to be nimble
in corners, but there's good road grip and the 300C is willing
enough if asked to change direction quickly. Steering feel is
rather soft in the American manner and the car can be surprised by
big lumps and holes at times.
The next few months are going to be interesting
ones for the Chrysler 300C. After too many years of conservative
shapes, Holden's new WM range of long-wheelbase cars finally has
the sort of styling that competes head on with the big Chrysler.
So the competition is going to be fierce as Chrysler fights to
hold onto its coveted market leadership.
And competition between the big boys is always
good new for buyers.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
300C 3.5-litre four-door sedan - $53,990
300C Touring 3.5-litre five-door wagon - $56,990
300C CRD 3.0-litre diesel four-door sedan - $57,990
300C Hemi 5.7-litre four-door sedan - $59,990
300C CRD Touring 3.0-litre diesel five-door wagon - $60,990
300C Hemi Touring 5.7-litre five-door wagon - $62,990
300C SRT8 6.1-litre four-door sedan - $71,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Driver Airbag: Standard in all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Chrysler 300C CRD 3.0-litre
diesel four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.987 litres
Configuration: Longitudinal V6
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 18.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 83.0 x 92.0mm
Maximum Power: 160kW @ 3800rpm
Maximum Torque: 510Nm @ 1600-2800rpm
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: 11.9 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: 8.6 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 16.6 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Diesel
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 8.2 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
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Marque Publishing Company
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