The new Chrysler 300 made its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show this week. The American auto giant's new flagship sedan features a more aerodynamic profile, distinctive LED-illuminated running lamps, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, luxurious interior and massive 8.4-inch Touch infotainment center.
The windshield on the 2011 Chrysler 300 sedan has been raked back 3 inches for improved aerodynamics and rolled-framed doors along with thinner pillars improve outward visibility by 15 percent according to Chrysler.
Under the hood of the Chrysler 300 and 300 Limited models is a 292 horsepower, 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine which boasts 36 percent more torque (260 lb.-ft.) than the previous entry level 2.7 liter V6 and an improvement in fuel economy of up to 8 percent.
The more powerful Chrysler 300C variation packs a punchy 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine delivering 363 horsepower, 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 6 seconds and gets fuel economy of up to 25 mpg on the highway courtesy of "Fuel Saver Technology" which shifts between a high-fuel-economy four-cylinder mode and V-8 mode.
There's also an AWD Chrysler 300C which features an active transfer case and front-axle disconnect system which automatically switches between rear-wheel drive and AWD to improve fuel economy by up to 5 percent.
The 300 has a Garmin navigation system onboard and its Uconnect Touch infotainment center features 8.4-inch touchscreen, while the SIRIUS Travel Link promises to keep the driver up-to-date with real-time weather reports and fuel prices.
New active safety features include adaptive-forward lighting, Forward Collision Warning and Blind-spot Monitoring.
The 2011 Chrysler 300 sedan will arrive on showroom floors in Spring and are said to start at $27,995 for the standard 300 model. The 2011 Chrysler 300 Series will be available in the U.S in four models: Chrysler 300, 300 Limited, 300C and 300C AWD.
Additional items might be: connectivity, fuel choices, turbine/fuel-cell hybrid-drive, Infra-red/sonar/camera low-visibility assist and composite simulated vision, transparent TFT windshield with configurable heads-up icons for all functions, and a few more that are slowly making their way to the market.
It seems to me that the vehicle needs much more improvement in aerodynamics. It also looks rather heavy. If a better Cd design was implemented, lighter materials and smaller engine were used, I am sure that the image of Chrysler being a luxury vehicle could be upheld.
Sloping of the front a bit more in the hood section and tapering the sides in the back just a bit might help.
I\'m surprised they didn\'t make a 4-door Challenger too.
Since they own all the old Hudson, Nash, American Motors trademarks, I\'d like to see the Hudson name revived on a 2-door coupe built in this RWD platform. It\'s nearly the same dimensions as the 1950\'s Hudson short wheelbase models. (Pacemaker and Wasp.) A bit shorter in height but around 1,000 pounds *heavier* than the Hudsons.
Make a new Hornet and get it into racing, push NASCAR back into REAL CARS instead of the tube framed baloney where they\'re all identical. There are many racing classes in other countries where they have to build the cars starting with a real car and the different makes really are different. It\'s especially entertaining in the classes where FWD, RWD and AWD cars compete in the same weight and engine size class.
NASCAR would gain a lot by going back to the STRICTLY STOCK it used to be over 50 years ago.