Chrysler woos executive buyers with an all new 300C

Story: Richard | Posted 13 June 2012 | In Car Reviews, Car Tests, Cars, Chrysler

Tagged with: Chrysler, Chrysler 300C, executive car, luxury car

Chrysler's 300C Mark 2 leans heavily on a new powertrain from Fiat, Chrysler's new owner. It's fast and refined if less distinctive than its predecessor

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What is it?

The second-generation Chrysler 300 saloon: you might remember the Mk1 – you could mistake its dramatic road presence for a Bentley.

But this is essentially an all new version of the good value, executive-cum-luxury car which was a smash hit for Chrysler in North America on its debut in 2003 (but which ultimately failed to save the company) and which has helped it gain a tiny foothold alongside Jeep in the sophisticated business user-chooser markets of the UK and Western Europe.

With Fiat now at Chrysler’s helm in place of Mercedes-Benz, the Chrysler 300C leans heavily on Fiat Group powertrain and body engineering technology; not least the 3 litre V6 VM/Fiat turbodiesel which replaces a former Mercedes-Benz unit and which will be the only power plant offered to UK buyers when the car goes on sale on June 14.

Not the usual British exec's favoured badge

The 300C represents a complete culture shift from the British executive business users’ staples of BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar – although precisely which models of its European competitors is difficult to define.

In terms of interior room, perceived overall size and road presence, it seems to sit vaguely between BMW 5 and 7 Series, Jaguar XF and XJ and Mercedes E- and S-Class.

But the really important differences lie elsewhere. The 300C might not seem particularly cheap – £35,995 for the “Limited” specification model and £39,995 for the so-called “Executive” – when a similar-power BMW 530d SE can be bought for £41,095.