New Chrysler 300C: Sexy at 60

The new 300C has “the soul of the 1955 300, the attitude of the 2005 300 and the style and sophistication that are the trademark of a count 300.”

Auto Nation Group (ANG), the general distributor for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands in the country, recently unveiled the new Chrysler 300C, touted  as the most technologically advanced sedan of its class,  at the Manila Polo Club.

Chrysler president and CEO Al Gardner likened this full-size sedan as a big, bold and proudly American car purpose-built for the masters of the universe.

These would be today’s professionals, experts and achievers who elevate themselves to king and queen status in their respective fields.

The new refinements and innovative features of the new 300C in design, comfort, driving performance, fuel efficiency, and safety and security features belie the somewhat familiar iconic shape and design that we have grown familiar with in the previous 300C model.

“Beyond its head-turning  iconic proportions and even more commanding Chrysler front-end grille, our new 300C is designed to reward hard-working individuals by delivering class-exclusive technologies, premium appointments and levels of quality,” says Gardner.

He says the new Chrysler is the culmination of the company’s 60-year history. It has the soul of the 1955 300, the attitude of the 2005 300, and the style and sophistication that are the trademark of a count 300.

“The 2015 Chrysler 300C has more of everything you could ever want in a car of its class,” says Gardner. “With this latest car innovation, we want you to drive proud.”

The most notable exterior improvement of the new 300C is its redesigned fascia and more prominent grille with the floating Chrysler wing badge.

Just below the main grille is a chrome Mobius strip that outlines a lower grille opening that surrounds the new LED fog lamps.

A pair of bi-xenon high-intensity discharge  projector beam headlamps with adaptive forward lighting  allows better illumination especially on winding roads, while integrated LED-illuminated daytime running lamps  form a distinctive “C” shape outline.

On the rear side, the 300C is fitted with a new sculptured LED taillamp with a signature illuminated halo design.

All new 300C models come in with a pair of twin polished exhaust tailpipes and a sport-tuned exhaust system, giving it a distinctive exhaust note and purr.

The 300C is positioned as a premium full-size sedan, and its interiors are fitted with quilted Nappa leather, hand-sanded wood, and ultrapremium Poltrona Frau leather-wrapped instrument panel and console.

Welcoming the driver and passengers inside the cabin is an all-new interior design that includes a 7-inch full-color driver information display  in the instrument cluster and a class-exclusive electronic rotary transmission shifter, plus Chrysler brand’s new three-spoke steering wheel with larger vehicle controls and die-cast paddle shifters.

In addition, the newest Uconnect systems have been added with the segment’s largest 8.4-inch touchscreen display.

The new 300C is not only more capable but also more fuel-efficient. Its updated “Sport” mode can reduce shift times by about 400 milliseconds to 250 milliseconds, increasing its engine and throttle responsiveness.

Its new standard electric power steering  system offers more control on the steering response and feel for the driver.

Felix Ang and Greg Yang of the Auto Nation Group pose beside the new 300C.  ALVIN UY

It is fitted with a more powerful and responsive V6 3.6-liter Pentastar engine with an increased output up to 286 horsepower at 6350 revolutions per minute, and up to 340 Newton-meters at 4650 rpm of torque.

Its class-exclusive TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission comes standard on every 300C, promising better performance and fuel-efficiency.

In terms of safety, the 300C is the “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with over 80 safety and security features including many that are new for 2015.

The legendary Chrysler 300 “letter series” that started in 1955 were high-performance luxury sedans built from 1955 to 1965. A year after its introduction, it was rebadged as 300C.

The 300 letter series cars were among the vehicles that focused on performance built by US manufacturers after World War II, and were considered as America’s spiritual ancestors to the muscle cars that we know in this generation.