FIRSTDRIVE CHRYSLER 300C:THE RELATIONSHIP between car brands is undoubtedly of more interest to the industry analysts than it is to the automotive customer.
Lining up in a square in Turin, driving a Lancia Thema which will be a Chrysler 300C by the time it reaches Irish shores you could spend time wondering whether this will serve to confuse the customer and dilute each brand’s values.
But then an Italian gentleman, probably in his late 60s, stops dead in the street and rotates his head like an owl. And we are pretty sure he’s not close enough to see the badge.
Fiat Group’s acquisition of Chrysler might have looked like it would go the same way as most celebrity marriages, but where Mercedes-Benz failed, Fiat appears to have succeeded and the once ailing car firm is now doing okay.
Chrysler Group posted its second quarterly profit this year and raised its full-year earnings outlook. It reported a profit of $212 million for the third quarter, compared with a loss of $84 million a year ago. Something is working.
We have already started to get the first wave of “new” Chryslers in Ireland and all of these will be Lancias in other mainland European markets.
But because the UK had some issues with Lancias in the past, the powers in Detroit and Turin have decided motorists in these isles should get theses cars as Chryslers.
I recently tried to explain this duality of branding to a man at a petrol station recently who was lusting after the new Chrysler Delta but wished it were a Lancia, but to little avail. Funny that.
But the thing is, here in Ireland the 300C would be a much more familiar offering than anything with a Lancia badge could hope to be and, while the last one didn’t sell in huge numbers, it was a frequent enough sight on Irish roads and at the time stood out compared to its pretty drab rivals. And that is what Chrysler will hope to do with this new model. They freely admit that this won’t overly worry the big boys in Munich or Stuttgart, but will offer an alternative to what is a predominantly teutonic segment.
The new car looks great. While the previous version was unashamedly flashy, this new one, while anything but demure, looks better proportioned and infinitely more elegant. While many of its rivals play it safe in terms of design for fear of shedding sales, the 300C looks like it came straight from the concept stage. Brash and bold, it won’t be bought by those hoping to blend in or be discreet.
Inside the improvements are more welcome and more obvious. Gone is the rather simplistic interior of the previous to be replaced by something altogether more refined and, dare I say, Italian. There are better plastics, better leather and the dials are bathed in sapphire-blue lighting.
Plus there is a large touchscreen display, housing Chrysler’s uConnect multimedia system, which works brilliantly, with the quick-finger response of an iPad and at a similar size. The cabin is wide and the seats comfy. You settle in very quickly.
Under the bonnet for Ireland will be a choice of two six-cylinder diesel engines. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel comes with a choice of 190- or 239bhp, both with band E (€630 per annum) emissions when mated to the five-speed automatic transmission.
That’s a heavier annual tax bill than most of its rivals, but an eight-speed automatic is promised at a later date, which will reduce the emissions by perhaps a band or two.
The engine itself sounds really good and pulls remarkably well. The higher powered version has 550Nm of torque and takes less than eight seconds to get to 100km/h. It’s the one to go for since there won’t be a massive price difference between it and the lower powered model.
This new 300C is a really nice place to be. it feels way more refined than before and, while it is unlikely to match a BMW 5-Series or Audi A6 in terms of sheer driving dynamics, it feels like a very different animal.
It still retains a percentage of the muscle car image, despite being diesel-powered, and thanks to the new interior it now has the quality to match the previous exterior charm.
In a market so dominated by German cars with four-cylinder diesel engines, most with sub 140g/km emissions, this 300C is likely to struggle, especially given the fact that also-rans like Jaguar have now started playing the four-cylinder emissions game. But the car market would be a very boring place without cars like this.
The 300C will probably start at around €48,500 when it goes on sale and you can expect it to come with everything from dual-zone climate control to full leather interior for this, while the top model “Limited” version, adds Garmin satellite navigation, premium audio system, 20” alloy wheels and more for perhaps another €5,000.
FACTFILE
Chrysler 300C
Engine3.0-litre V6 putting out either 190- or 239bhp and 440Nm or 550Nm of torque
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Top Speed: 220km/h / 230km/h
0-100km/h: 9.7 seconds / 7.8 seconds
CO2 emissions:185g/km (Band E)
Annual motor tax:€630
Price:circa €49,000
On Sale:Spring 2012