Performing deeper stylistic changes wouldn’t be advisable because Chrysler had to work with conflicting concepts. The smaller 200 welcomed its second generation with a very fluid design, whose elements seem to merge into one another, and shortly after was claimed as the first follower of the automaker’s brand new language. But despite it is very attractive, it would contradict 300’s strong, straight-ish lines. This is why the sedan’s biggest changes were at the bumpers: up front, the chrome bars below the lights are gone, in order to favor the retouched upper grille, while the lower air intakes became a single piece. The rear bumper replicates that shape at its own lower section, and the tail lights received chrome trim. There are new wheels, too.
As regards trim levels, 300 Limited is the initial one; 300S conveys sportiness through aggressive accessories and trim, 300C attracts with a more conservative look, and the brand new 300C Platinum became the upscale variation. All of them can have their cabins in the Manhattan theme, which pairs black leather with satin chrome trim. 300S also offer Detroit, with black and Ambassador blue Nappa seats, silver accent stitching, piano-black trim and die-cast paddle shifters. Limited and 300C, in turn, add Sausalito, with black and linen trim, satin and bright chrome inserts Olive Ash Burl wood and bronze stitching. Platinum features La Jolla, with Indigo and Linen-colored Nappa seats, quilted Poltrona Frau leather for the other elements, and matte-finished Mocha wood trim.
Besides these changes, 300’s cabin also features redesigned audio and climate controls, a new 7” color display for the instrument cluster as standard, a new three-spoke steering wheel, and the same rotary shift knob as seen on 200 –details like this are Chrysler’s way of increasing the difference between its sedans. Performance-related elements, such as a gear stick, are restricted to Dodge cars. Under the hood, the only surprise is ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission becoming the only option. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 is still good for 292 hp, while the 5.7L Hemi V8 still reaches 363 hp, but 300S’ sport exhaust takes the first one to 300 hp. This is the only engine whose standard rear-wheel-drive can be upgraded by AWD.
Speaking of equipments leads to few more news. 300S, 300C with the V8, and Platinum added a Sport mode to the transmission, which appears as an extra “S” position for the rotary knob. The sedan’s fuel consumption should have improved, because the hydraulic steering was replaced with an electric system, and axle and axle housings now use lightweight cast aluminum. Safety equipments now include forward-collision warning with automatic braking, lane-departure and keeping assistants, adaptive cruise control and an emergency-call system, which contacts 9-1-1 with the car’s built-in data connection. In the United States, 300’s new price list won’t be too different from the current one, although there’s no mention of a refreshed SRT version yet.
Lançamento no Brasil (19/08/2015)
Importado do Canadá, o maior sedã do fabricante norteamericano estendeu ao Brasil sua atualização mais recente. O novo 300 vem somente na versão de luxo C, e custando R$ 204.900. O estilo foi renovado por dentro e por fora, como se indica no texto acima, e a lista de equipamentos apresenta novidades como a central de entretenimento Uconnect, com tela tátil de 8,4”, e a direção assistida, que agora é totalmente elétrica. Em paralelo, o motor continua o 3.6 V6 Pentastar, mas ele teve algumas alterações para passar a render 296 cv de potência e 36 kgfm de torque. O câmbio é o automático TorqueFlite, de oito marchas, e a suspensão é independente nas quatro rodas. A Chrysler afirma que ele acelera de 0 a 100 km/h em 7,9 segundos e alcança a velocidade máxima de 240 km/h.