Chrysler 300S 2014 Review

Chrysler really nailed it with its ugly/beautiful 300C sedan when it was introduced locally in November 2005.

It wasn’t just the sinister but appealing looks: the company also managed to bring the 300C to market in Australia with attractive pricing that enabled it to compete directly with local big-banger sedans from Holden and Ford. The fact it also rode on basically-Mercedes E-Class underpinnings didn’t do any harm either.

A carefully revised second-generation model arrived in 2012 and, although some commentators thought it was a little watered-down compared with the original 300, the marketplace accepted it enthusiastically. Sales for 2013 easily outpaced the car’s first full-year performance in 2006 and, judging by year-to-date figures, demand continues to be strong (if a little down) in 2014.

What is surprising about the latest version of the 300 is that it continues to rate well, in terms of its dynamic properties, even though the fundamentals are pretty much unchanged.

In recently introduced 300S form, the Chrysler not only represents a realistic buying choice, but also continues with the all-embracing appeal that attracted customers at the beginning. It’s on the verge of becoming iconic.

The 300 is hard to ignore and it's as appealing inside as out. It offers plenty of stretching space as well as a feeling of luxury in a cabin that is dominated by a broad, sweeping dash, big, embracing seats and feelings of privacy created by the almost slit-like windows.

The new 300S version, at $47,500 before on-road costs, sits midway in the model range between the entry Limited version ($43,000 pre on-road costs) and the hammering 6.4-litre V8 SRT8 ($66,000 pre on-roads).

It uses the 210kW/340Nm 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 hooked up to an eight-speed ZF auto transmission and parades a set of gloss-black 20-inch wheels wearing the same owprfile tyres as the SRT8. Adornments include a subtle lip spoiler on the boot and a few dabs of black trim on the grille and headlights.

Inside, the 300 mood is accentuated by splashes of piano black on the centre console, steering wheel and doors, matt carbon-style trim replacing the usual woodgrain as well as sports pedals and the no-cost option of luscious, deep red leather trim.

Underpinning all this is a familiar array of Chrysler 300 features including a big, heated, power-adjusted steering wheel trimmed in a mix of wood and leather, 8.4-inch touch-screen satellite navigation, two-zone climate control, two-position memory not just for the powered driver’s seat (the front passenger’s is powered too), but also for the steering wheel, exterior mirrors and radio.

There are also heated seats in both front and rear, rain-sensing wipers, a reversing camera, auto-dipping bi-Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights and an electrochromatic rearview mirror.

Apart from measuring slightly shorter, the 300S is bigger and even a bit heavier than a V6 Holden Caprice. There are no complaints about head, shoulder or legroom, in either front or back seats and even though the tinted windows help shield passengers from prying eyes, the vision towards the rear is better than you might think.

With all this tipping the scales at a fraction under 1.9 tonnes, you’d maybe also think the 3.6-litre V6 might have its work cut out. In reality, the smooth and responsive Pentastar engine is a sparkling performer, capable of reaching 100km/h from a standstill in just seven seconds and behaving generally as if it’s propelling something weighing half a tonne less.

On test, we averaged better than the claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 9.4L/100km with an (admittedly freeway-biased) average of 8.6L/100km. Impressive.

The Chrysler’s refinement is helped in no small way by the intuitive, smooth-shifting eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. The shifts between gears are almost imperceptible and it has no trouble finding the correct ratio on the open road.

Overall, as you’d expect, the 300 is a great freeway cruiser (although the cruise control was not especially determined to hold any chosen speed, either up or downhill) with low noise levels, a comfortable ride and plenty of smooth punch always on hand.

In terms of the ride-handling compromise, the 300S feels better sorted than the original 2005 cars. It’s not the best in its class, and there’s a tight edge to the car’s ride no doubt contributed to by the 245/45ZR20 SRT8 rubber, but it’s pretty easy on passengers with enough basic absorbency in the suspension and no sign of the fore-aft pitching that characterised the original 300C.

It also acquits itself pretty well on corners with good steering response (the big wheel twirls from lock to lock in just 2.4 turns), and a strong grip on the tarmac.

Although it still doesn’t get an ANCAP rating, the 300S also comes with a decent list of safety technology including a count of seven airbags (a driver’s kneebag is standard), and the usual list of dynamic safety measures.

Gripes? Well, although the general control layout was easily acclimatised to, we had a bit of trouble with the Bluetooth telephony (using an Android mobile phone) and found the foot-operated, Benz-hangover parking brake a bit of a pain.

Another Benz hand-me-down is the twist-grip activation of the windscreen wipers on the single, multi-purpose steering column stalk. Easy enough once you get used to it, even if most of us would still prefer a dedicated wiper stalk.

But these things are hardly enough to turn anyone away from a car that flaunts its American nature in a way that is more inclined to inspire nostalgia than resentment. Every encounter, as a driver or passenger, brings a smile to the face.

2014 Chrysler 300S pricing and specifications:
Price: $47,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 210kW/340Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.4L/100km (ADR Combined)