2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series
This week Chrysler has announced the introduction of a new luxury variant for the 300 and 300C models which will be available in the United States starting with the first quarter of next year. This Luxury Series follows the footsteps of the Executive Series that was announced this year during the 2011 edition of the New York Auto Show.
2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series
The Chrysler 300 Luxury Series has a base price of $40,145 for the model equipped with an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox and a Pentastar V6 3.6-liter engine that pumps out 292 hp (217 kW / 296 PS). The beefier 300C model has a HEMI V8 5.7-liter engine under its hood which churns 363 hp (271 kW / 368 PS) and starts from $42,895. For $2,350 more, both variants can be equipped with an all-wheel drive system.
2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series
The cabin of both models is wrapped around in Premium Nappa leather which covers everything from the door armrest, instrument panel to the front passenger seats and the rear ones. The interior also features an elegant Real Natural Pore Mocha wood trim that comes in a matte finish. The front seats can be adjusted in 12 ways and are heated.
2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series
Source: Chrysler via WCF
Post tags: Tags: chrysler 300, chrysler 300 luxury series, chrysler 300c luxury series, chrysler-300c, chyrsler
2011 Chrysler 300
Mitch Clauw is the Chief Engineer on the new 2011 Chrysler 300 and he said that very few parts were taken over from the old model which means that the car you see in these pictures is basically new. The outgoing generation was produced between 2005 and 2010 and had a sported bold, in-your-face styling while the new one has a more grown-up appearance. Its bodylines are less angular and crisper. Despite the fact that the wheelbase remained just about the same (120.2 inches in comparison with 120 inches of the old gen), the 300 model is now longer, taller and wider – better.
The old model wasn’t really capable of standing out against the other competitors from the segment and the engineers at Chrysler had to do something to change this situation. What they did is they made the A- and B-pillars a little bit thinner; the beltline was lowered while the windshield was racked back about three inches. All of the modifications were made in order to improve the outward visibility which I must say it was a very good idea.
2011 Chrysler 300
Putting it side-by-side with the previous model, the front of the car looks to have suffered the most changes. The nose is now more contoured, improving the car’s aerodynamics, which was another area where serious work had to be done. In this attempt, they also made the grille more trapezoidal and LED daytime running lights were attached to the now slimmer headlamps which look very elegant. The new exterior changes are not as obvious as you might have hoped, but move on inside and you’ll think that this is a totally different car and by “different” we mean way better. What I like the most is the new instrument cluster which looks awesome, way better than the highly-appraised 5-Series from BMW. We’ve seen this design on the Chrysler Imperial Concept which debuted back in ’09.
2011 Chrysler 300
Can’t say the same thing about the steering wheel but it is considerably better than the one on the old gen. A big plus for the cabin is the generous 8.4-inch LED screen located right in the center. It is capable of providing you with all the audio controls, the HVAC system, Bluetooth phone as well as the built-in Garmin navigation system for which you have to pay extra money. The monitor and the gauges are easy to read even in bright sunlight.
The people over at Chrysler did a hell of a job at making the cabin as silent as possible which means that if you are looking for a quiet full-size sedan, the new 300 might be what you need. They also used a lot of lightweight materials like aluminum and high-strength steel in order to maintain the weight of the old model while at the same time making the car bigger due to the new added equipments.
2011 Chrysler 300
Under the hood you will find a V6 engine that outputs 292 hp and is linked to a 5-speed automatic gearbox. With this engine and RWD, the Chrysler 300 does 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, according to EPA ratings, which is just about the same as the BMW 535i @ 19/28. A transmission with more gears will certainly improve the car’s fuel efficiency and I’m pretty sure that in the next 1-2 years, the 300 will get a 7- or 8-speed (courtesy of ZF) automatic gearbox which will allow the car to do over 20 mpg in the city.
The base price for the 300 with the V6 and RWD is $27,995 while the 300 Limited is a little bit more expensive, standing at $31,995. The starting price for the 300 with a more powerful HEMI V8 is $38,995. This engine is capable of producing 363 hp. In the future, Chrysler will probably roll out a SRT8 300 model which will produce even more horsepower. Over the old gen V6, you’ll get an additional number of 71 ponies which you will definitely feel.
Even more significant is the increased torque – the old one had 260 lb.-ft while the new generation offers 394 lb.-ft, a pretty important upgrade. With the HEMI engine and RWD, the Chrysler 300 will do 16 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway while the AWD model does 15/23. The cars fitted with the V8 HEMI also get the fuel saving cylinder deactivation.
2011 Chrysler 300
The 2011 Chrysler 300 offers a pretty smooth ride thanks to its fully-independent suspension that does the job very well. Steering is very precise with the help of the EPAS – electrically assisted power steering.
Taking into consideration the rough last few years of the company – surviving Cerberus mismanagement, bankruptcy issues and being taken over by Fiat, we must admit that they did a very good job with the new 300 model and put the manufacturer back on the map, promising a bright future ahead.
I for one didn’t like the old model – I thought that it had an outdated look ever since the first day it was launched. The new model is a major improvement in all compartments over the old gen and now it can really face up the competition in the full-size sedan segment.
Post tags: Tags: chrysler 300
2011 Chrysler 300
Despite the fact that the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid was almost a failure, CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that the automaker will not give up on the idea of making gasoline-electric cars. In a discussion with Automotive News, he said that the 300 Hybrid model will be launched in 2013. Although the info regarding this announcement are limited, we can tell you that this hybrid version will most likely carry the standard V6 3.6-liter Pentastar or the powerful V8 HEMI 5.7-liter engine.
Nothing is official at the moment, but the 2013 Chrysler 300 Hybrid will most likely get the HEMI engine as it is more suitable for a two-mode hybrid system which was jointly developed with BMW, Daimler and General Motors for the HEMI.
In that interview, Marchionne also said that in 2013 a new 7-seat Jeep Wagoneer luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) will be launched based on the platform used for the Dodge Durango and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. In addition, the company will most likely drop one of its two minivans, either the Chrysler Town & Country or the Dodge Grand Caravan. He said that the one that will be dropped will be replaced by “a people mover of some kind.”
Source: AutoNews.com
Post tags: Tags: chrysler 300, Hybrid
2011 Chrysler 300
Announced a few weeks ago, the 2011 Chrysler 300 has been officially unveiled during the first day of the Detroit Auto Show. Introduced back in 2005, the 300C looked great but after six years some changes needed to be done to dish the outdated appearance and for this reason Chrysler came up the new generation which is simply put, better. The most important changes include the availability of a new powertrain, a superior interior with materials of higher quality, a lowered belt line, LED-encrusted headlamps and sleeker sheet metal.
Speaking of a new engine, Chrysler’s 300 model will be available with the 3.6-liter aluminum V6 Pentastar unit that will produce 292 hp, best in its class. Compared to the previous generations of V6 engines, the Pentastar is 8% more fuel efficient, managing to achieve 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA ratings. This new engine is 63% more powerful than the previous entry-level 2.7-liter and offers 36% more torque. Compared to the V6 3.5-liter, the all-new 3.6-liter offers 16% more muscles and extra 10 lb.-ft of torque.
2011 Chrysler 300
A more powerful engine will be the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 that offers 363 hp, allowing the car to reach 60 mph in less than 6 seconds and can do 25 mpg on the highway. This engine will benefit from the Fuel Saver Technology that according to the press release will guarantee a seamless transition between the smooth and high fuel-economy four-cylinder mode in the situations in which less power is required and the V8 mode when more power is necessary.
As far as the safety features are concerned, the 2011 Chrysler 300 will offer as standard Keyless Enter-N-Go as well as ESC – electronic stability control. The SafetyTec Group will be available on the 300C AWD, 300 Limited and 300C, offering adaptive-forward lightning, ParkSense front and rear park assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic headlamp leveling, LED-illuminated rear fog lamps as well as high-density discharge projector high and low-beams along with rear cross path detection. In addition, the car packs full-length side-curtain airbags, an airbag for the driver’s knee and front seat-mounted side-thorax airbags for maximum protection.
2011 Chrysler 300
Regarding the connectivity and the entertainment support for the 2011 Chrysler 300, the car will come with a massive 8.4-inch touch screen display as standard for the 300C and 300C AWD and as an optional feature for the Limited model. The system features Garmin navigation support as well as SIRIUS Travel Link.
No pricing details were revealed for the 2011 Chrysler 300.
Post tags: Tags: chrysler 300
2011 Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 is back with the 2011 model and looks breathtaking in our opinion. The car borrowed a couple of things from the 2005 generation if we look at the boxy roofline, the upright proportions and the purposeful stance. The windshield of the new model is now more steeply ranked while the muscular wheel arches were kept. The car now has smoother arcs and softer lines at the trunklid and hood while the chrome-trimmed taillights look very appealing. In the company’s honor, the LED daytime running lights have a “C” shape.
Similar to the Charger, the 2011 Chrysler 300 received a significant update inside. The new model boosts HVAC controls and a very generous 8.4-inch infotainment screen, as an optional feature with the Garmin navigation system so that you don’t get lost. Other optional features include the dual-pane sunroof, heated/cooled seats and cupholders as well as new 20-inch rims. The plastics used for the interior are of reasonable quality, similar to the ones used for the Charger, but are styled in another way, more classy.
To make it even classier, the engineers at Chrysler did a little bit of work on the interior cabin noise. For this reason, they equipped the 300 with two premium-composite underbody panels that can guarantee more than 8 ft of acoustic insulation while at the same time, smoothing lower airflow.
2011 Chrysler 300
Similar to the outgoing generation, the 300 will be available in both rear and all wheel drive. The AWD system consists of an active transfer case and a seamless disconnecting front axle which according to the automaker allows a 5% boost in fuel economy.
The Limited and Touring models are fitted with a Pentastar V6 power unit that is capable of outputting 292 hp and a torque of 260 pound-feet. For those drivers that want more muscle under the hood, the new generation of the 300 can be equipped with a V8 5.7-liter HEMI (with Fuel Saver Technology) that will offer 360 hp and 390 pound-feet. All of the engines will be linked to a 5-speed automatic transmission. The car will do about 16 mpg in the city and 26-28 mpg on the highway.
According to Chrysler, the suspension geometry has been updated in order to permit a better and firmer handling. In addition, the electro-hydraulic power steering has been modified for the driver’s touch.
The car will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2011 at a starting price of $28,000 for the models equipped with the V6 engine and $38,000 for the ones fitted with the powerful V8 HEMI.
Post tags: Tags: chrysler 300
