The Chrysler 300C, which was recently named the 2005 North American Car of the Year, has already flashed across local television screens and will arrive in SA showrooms next month. DaimlerChrysler says prices will start at R349 000.
The Chrysler 300C, which was recently named the 2005 North American Car of the Year, has already flashed across local television screens and will arrive in SA showrooms next month. DaimlerChrysler says prices will start at R349 000.
CARtoday.com reported earlier that the 300C, which was widely expected to be introduced in South Africa in the second half of the year, had edged out the Audi A6, BMW 6 Series, Ford Mustang and Porsche 911 to win the North American title.
An advertisement for the 300C on South African television led us to believe that the new Chrysler – the first rear-wheel drive saloon to be produced by the US brand in the past 10 years and featuring classic proportions – a long bonnet and a dramatic profile – would soon be launched on the local market.
DaimlerChrysler spokesman Richard Sloman told CARtoday.com on Tuesday that the 300C’s initial lineup would comprise a 188 kW 3,5-litre V6 model (which produces 340 N.m of torque) and the flagship, powered by a burbling 254 kW 5,7-litre Hemi V8. The V6 model would cost R349 000 and the V8 R430 000 “and the only optional extra will be a R9 000 sunroof”, Sloman said.
The unmistakably American-inspired 300C, with its sharp creases and high beltline, is anything but discreet. Built on the current Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform, the 300C is nearly 1,9 m wide and 5,0 m long, and both models are offered with a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential-shift mode.
The 5,7-litre pushrod HEMI V8, named for its hemispherical combustion chambers, has been a hit with US consumers since it went on sale in the North American market early in 2004, and already does service in the new Grand Cherokee range in South Africa. With its hi-tech hydraulic valve filters, the Hemi motor produces 525 N.m of torque and uses what Chrysler calls its multi-displacement system to shut off the valve systems on four of the eight cylinders, effectively converting the V8 to a more frugal V4 at cruising speeds.
Chrysler claims the flagship will accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in 6,4 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 km/h. The 300C has short- and long-arm front- and independent multi-link rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and twin exhausts.
Expect the cars’ specification lists to include leather and wood trim, dual-stage driver and passenger airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), traction control, ABS, electrically-adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone airconditioning, leather-trimmed steering wheel, cruise control, electric windows, Xenon headlights and automatic wipers, Boston Acoustics CD sound system with integrated six-disc CD changer and six speakers and 18-inch alloys.