Whether you liked it or not, the exterior of the previous Chrysler 300C was eye-catching.
However, the sense of executive quality was lacking on the inside, so for the first facelift in the 300C’s short UK life, Chrysler has focussed on the interior while only subtly changing the outside.
Replacing the outgoing cacophony of cream is a darker atmosphere that better befits the image of the car.
But the finish isn’t quite perfect, with some of the remaining plastics a little hard to the touch. And one aspect that didn’t work on the car we drove were the walnut interior features that come with the ‘Luxury Pack’ option. Rather than enhancing the luxury, the wood detracts from the quality of the leather-finished steering wheel.
On the road, the car feels happiest cruising, and the ride is smooth, comfortable and assured. Meanwhile, the monstrous 218PS 3.0-litre engine ensures performance belies the 300C’s immense size – it sprints to 60 in 7.6secs and peaks at 143mph. An inevitable downside to the size is reduced visibility; it is hard to tell where the extremes of the car are.
Residual values will be of great importance to Chrysler as it anticipates that 40% of sales will be to the fleet market, largely to senior members of companies with small fleets.
Thanks to small UK numbers, those RVs are looking reasonable for the 300C. Although it has only been on sale here for two years, Emmox’s early indications show it holding on to 39% of its value.
Chrysler dropping two of the petrol engines should help future values – the only two engines available now are the 3.0 V6 diesel driven here, and the 431PS 6.1-litre petrol SRT-8. With less variety, it aims to not flood the market and retain the element of exclusivity.
