- Chrysler's 300 flagship sedan has been reskinned.
- 2011 300 gets a more elegant face, with even more chrome.
- The cabin features upgraded materials.
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Chrysler has extensively reworked its flagship sedan, the 2011 Chrysler 300, which makes its public debut next month at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show and begins reaching U.S. dealers in the first quarter.
As Chrysler aims to reposition the 300 sedan a bit higher in U.S. buyers' minds, corporate master Fiat is also planning to rebadge the car and turn it into a Lancia in Europe.
The new 300 gets a new front face, including redesigned grille, "key slot" headlamps and LED daytime running lamps. Look closely, and you may see that the windshield has been raked back 3 inches, while the door pillars are a bit thinner. There is also a new dual-pane panoramic sunroof and optional 20-inch polished-aluminum wheels.
From the rear, the makeover is more subtle, with a modest lip spoiler on the deck lid, revamped LED taillamps and oval dual exhaust tips.
Chrysler also has upgraded the materials in the cabin, which features a redesigned instrument cluster, sapphire-blue LED ambient lighting, wood trim and optional heated and ventilated Napa leather seats.
Inside Line says: The new Chrysler 300 looks more expensive, but will customers pay a premium? — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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msmaserati says:
11:50 AM, 02/01/2011
I've never been a huge Chrysler fan, BUT I've always liked the 300. I must say that even though it seems all car makers are copying Audi in the LED lights, this beauty resembles the beefy Rolls Royce Phantom....interesting and stunning, I like her.
ianzoe1 says:
07:47 AM, 01/11/2011
Does anyone else see a resemblance to the PT Cruiser here.....I mean a flattened out PT Cruiser face?????
That is what Chrysler/Fiat should be working on a replacement for the PT Cruiser. Great idea and well developed concept...ya know what Chrysler yused to be known for!
Forget importing that baby Beetle...I mean 500
infimini says:
07:28 PM, 01/03/2011
This looks too much like a refresh of the current 300.
And what is wrong with the tail lights??
This car is better, but still not good enough.
But people will still buy it...
f1guy1 says:
02:53 PM, 01/03/2011
As an owner of two of the last ones, I dont like this one. I think that it loses a lot of what makes the car itself. The slab-sided, cut look of the old one is what made it really cool. I wish that they had kept a lot of the hard lines that really defined the old one.
Nice shot Chrysler, but its too smooth.
colorado1974 says:
02:02 PM, 01/03/2011
Awesome. They've learned not to mess with a good thing. The original was the most award winning car in history. The sequel will be one of the most classy.
kudos.
Jason5 says:
11:57 AM, 01/03/2011
Alright....one more time for the biased and/or intellectually challenged. The 5 speed is neither "antique" or "notorious". It was developed by Daimler-Benz for the first Charger/Magnum/300 series in 2004/2005. Perfectly solid and reasonable transmission...if down a gear from what we're coming to expect.
zoomzoomn says:
06:43 AM, 12/29/2010
Somewhat polarizing like the original, but in a more boring kind of way. Not a good thing.
tbone85 says:
01:40 AM, 12/24/2010
The 300 originally offered a bold blast of styling in a sea of plain Jane sedans. It wasn't for everyone then, and this new version isn't for everyone now. Other than the LEDs, I don't see the Audi thing. Since I only see Bentleys a couple times a year, it's hard for me to compare. It's a brash unique and polarizing design. I think it's a nice update, the fact that many disagree is a better result than the universal blandness churned out by so many design studios.
tdiluv says:
07:43 AM, 12/23/2010
Don't pay too much as the depreciation will be enormous and the resale value in the tank !!!
cb_racer says:
06:34 PM, 12/22/2010
when this 300C was born it said to Mama Fiat - "Mama when I grow up I want to be an Audi". Poor kid...it didn't work exactly like that.
Big POC!