Chrysler 300C HEMI

Big, bold and brimming with bling, the 300C offers plenty of old-school street-cred

Chrysler 300C HEMI
Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $60,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: TBA
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 11.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 282
Also consider: Holden Statesman

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

In its formative years, the 300C championed Chrysler's audacious, retro-chic styling, and was lauded for its bold American fashion sense in an otherwise beige 'sea' of local long wheelbase offerings. The 300C was seen as the 'pimp-my-ride' car of choice for gangsters, and gangster wannabes, often seen cruising city streets with none-too-subtle levels of aftermarket bling.

Several years on, however, the fad is fading, and like any other five- year-old car the 300C is beginning to show its age. But in undercutting its nearest adversary by a cool $3000, the colossal Chrysler still represents a worthy option (or is that the only option?) in the full-sized rear-drive arena -- and packs plenty of V8 street-cred to boot.

Beneath that long, flat bonnet beats the bassy growl of an American icon. Chrysler's 5.7-litre HEMI engine (so named for its hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers) delivers generous levels of grunt (265kW/528Nm) while at the same time achieving respectable fuel economy.

Matched to a modern cylinder deactivation system, 300C is able to revert to four-cylinder operation when cruising. It's not the smoothest of systems, and there's a small but noticeable 'surge' as the valve gear reverts to eight-cylinder mode, but unlike some rivals we could mention, the Chrysler system does achieve real-world fuel saving results, proven by our impressive combined figure of 12.0L/100km.

The 300C's throttle calibration lacks a little polish -- its communication skills with Chrysler's dated five-speed automatic transmission as slow as the subtitles on SBS. However, if you're keen to really demand the most from this transmission, an east-west manual override (-/+) is offered. When it comes to extracting more performance, it's of little real advantage.

Based on a two-generation-old Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform, a remnant of the now defunct Chrysler-Daimler alliance, the 300C breaks the stereotypical sponge-like handling typically associated with American cars to offer decidedly high-brow on-road manners.

Independent front and rear suspension might be set a little firm for some tastes, but is a necessary compromise in bringing a satisfactory level of handling to the hefty package. Higher profile tyres (225/60) on 18-inch alloy wheels also doing their fair share in reducing the impact felt by sudden bumps (and in countering road noise).

Steering feel is not your usual fingertip-light US tune. Indeed, the rack and pinion arrangement offers a fast enough ratio for orderly manoeuvring. We're it not for its size, the 300C would almost be considered quite nimble.

Probably the biggest failing, if you can call it that, of the 300C is its sexy chopped roof. Despite the obvious styling advantages, the reduced glass area means restricted vision, especially for shorter occupants. As a driver, this can mean parking the larger-than-life sedan is akin to threading a 1900kg needle.

Likewise, and again despite seemingly large proportions, cabin space is roughly on par with a Commodore or Falcon, especially in terms of rear legroom, which at 1020mm, becomes compromised when the front seats are positioned anywhere but fully forward.

For the driver, no steering wheel reach adjustment also ruins what's otherwise a very relaxed driving position, and, given the choice, I'd ditch the half-wooden steering wheel. The foot-operated park brake, another left-over from the Daimler parts bin, is also a pain in the proverbial. The pedal sits too high when disengaged and in releasing the park brake's hold over the rear wheels, a two-phase operation requiring the use of your left foot and right hand in unison feels like you're doing the front seat hokey pokey.

On the plus side, the cockpit is equipped with generously proportioned front seats (I'll refrain from passing comment on the larger posteriors of our Northern American friends) offering lounge chair comfort levels. The front pews are fitted with toasty bum warmers, perfect for chilly mornings, and also offer eight-way electronic adjustment with two memory positions.

Joining the mod-con list, Chrysler's voice command system (known as U-Connect) is a user-friendly system linked to all the car's infotainment functions. Featuring a pumping 368-watt Boston 7 premium sound system with sub-woofer, the standard media centre includes standard Bluetooth connectivity, iPod integration, a 30GB hard-drive (which holds approximately 6700 songs) and a 16.5-centimetre touch screen.

It's a pretty slick set-up, easily the best standard stereo in this sector, but despite its high-scoring feature list, the head unit looks decidedly after-market against its surround of art-deco inspired switch gear and instruments, which are backlit at night by a cool, radium-esque hue.

The boot (or is that trunk?) isn't nearly as big as it looks offering just 504-litre of cargo space -- the same capacity as Toyota's Aurion. That figure sees 300C fall 29-litres short of direct rival, the Holden Statesman. Split fold (60:40) rear seats do, however, make 300C a little more versatile than its locally-built competitor.

Without an ANCAP safety rating, the 300C is a little hard to grade, but America's NHTSA tells us the 2010 Chrysler 300C scores a maximum possible five-star safety rating thanks to standard inclusions such as front, side and curtain airbags, stability control, traction control and anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes. Tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors and remote central locking are also included.

With Ford's Fairlane out of the picture, the upper-large RWD sedan market is, in this price bracket at least, a two-horse race. And while in its current guise the 300C might want for a little refinement and, dare I say it (interior) size, Chrysler's newfound alliance with Fiat could springboard a lot of pimp-tastic promise when a when a replacement arrives sometime in 2012.

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