The task of following up its 6,4-litre HEMI-engined SRT8 flagship sibling in a CAR road-test assessment is an unenviable one for the 3,0-litre turbodiesel 300C. In the January 2013 issue, we praised the keenly priced, purposefully packaged SRT8 model for appealing to muscle-car aficionados’ hearts and pockets, but the diesel derivative doesn’t promise standout performance at a price that makes its rivals seem expensive. Instead, it positions itself as the strong-but-silent type.
Few will dispute the eye-grabbing distinctiveness of the 300C’s shape, especially when clad in a pearlescent ivory finish that highlights the Chrysler’s expansive horizontal planes and boxy extremities. But the brushed chrome garnishing in the grille, below the headlamps, along the flanks and round the taillamp clusters seem to soften the 300C’s appearance. What’s more, the LED-adorned headlamps and 20-inch polished aluminium wheels ramp up the kerb appeal so dramatically that the test unit drew envious looks wherever it was seen.
The cabin’s awash with retro two-tone dark and light frost-beige nappa leather and faux-wood trim. If you are accustomed to dark cabins that are studies in Teutonic minimalism, the 300C’s veritable deluge of brown materials and chunky switchgear are acquired tastes. And, although the front seats afford myriad options for electric adjustment, heating and ventilation, they don’t offer much lateral support. Still, the UConnect 8,4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which offers satnav, Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming, as well as voice-command recognition, is as pleasing as having heating and cooling facilities for the driver and front passenger’s cupholders and being able to bathe the cabin in sunlight courtesy of the panoramic sunroof.
It’s regrettable that a sizeable saloon with a 3 052 mm wheelbase would offer merely adequate levels of rear-leg and headroom. In fact, in many ways, the test unit, equipped with the optional Driver Confidence package, which includes adaptive cruise control, a forward collision-warning system, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-path detection system, was quite driver-centric.
By that we don’t mean the 300C is involving to drive in the traditional sense; its tiller is bereft of feel and feedback and the five-speed automatic transmission and throttle pedal’s responses are laid back to the point of inducing narcolepsy. Yet, with its excellent NVH-suppression at cruising speeds, the 3,0 CRD is a long-distance cruiser at its core. The test team could not reach consensus if the big-wheeled Chrysler’s ride quality was comparatively nervous due to the saloon’s low-profile rubber, or remarkably forgiving in spite of the extreme footwear.
Test Summary
A 300C with a CAR fuel index of 8,6 litres/100 km makes sense for a variety of prudent reasons. It’s an eminently likeable vehicle, but even with all the standard kit it offers compared with its continental competitors and its distinctive styling, the 300C’s indifferent driving dynamics and flawed packaging loom large in the absence of its SRT8 brother’s hearty V8.
