When Chrysler attaches the somewhat overused “Platinum” trim designation to its flagship four-door, which has become the new
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
“Limited” replacement descriptor for top of the line trim for many brands in the auto industry, at least they ante up with something truly special. This latest 300C Platinum is not only the best production Chrysler cabin ever, but it rates as one of the nicer interiors I’ve experienced within the full-size luxury sedan segment.
First off, I was taken aback by its gorgeous two-tone dark blue and ivory white colour scheme. The last time I drove a car with this combination of ultra-rich hues I was also staring out the windshield at a Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament above its imposing grille. Yes, that was the Rolls Royce Ghost Series II, the most recent iteration of the luxury of luxury cars, and hardly bad company for a Chrysler 300C.
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
While I won’t even pretend to compare the two, although it should be noted that the 300 had the cool kinked headlamp clusters first, and I should also add that the R-R didn’t include cooling and warming cupholders (how gauche), which much to my liking truly get cold or hot depending on the beverage being held.
Adding to the 300C Platinum’s special appeal is a contrast-stitched and leather-covered gauge package hood and dash top. The same stitched leather treatment runs down each side of the centre stack and along the lower console edges too, amazingly right down to the carpeting, whereas the same premium-level leather gets stretched across the door uppers front and back. The quilted ivory leather used
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
for the door inserts is even nicer, matching the perforated Nappa leather upholstery on the-oh so comfortable seats. Chrysler has even gone so far as to add authentic open-pore wood across the instrument panel and doors, not to mention down the centre stack and onto the lower console.
Added to the look and the 300C’s operational ease of use is a rotating dial gear selector à la Jaguar (and Ram 1500 pickup truck), replacing last year’s annoying electronic lever that was so difficult to get into D or R that it was jokingly dubbed the Curse-O-Matic. Other details include an absolutely gorgeous analog primary gauge package with a large seven-inch full-colour TFT screen intersecting the two, this ahead of a most unique two-tone blue and ivory leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel featuring a thin strip of aluminum-finish trim dividing the
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
two hues, the same aluminum used to separate the steering wheel buttons, coat the paddle shifters, and cover a lot of other cabin details including the vent surrounds, the large infotainment system surround, the beautifully detailed analog clock, gear selector, cupholders, door pulls, wood trim embellishment, and the list goes on. Additional bright metal can be found throughout the cabin, while most of the switchgear is up to the same levels as offered by premium competitors.
I use the word competitors because this 300C Platinum comes closer to fully competing with the European and Japanese luxury superpowers than any mainstream volume branded car yet, not to mention the very impressive Koreans that offer up models like the Hyundai Genesis and Equus, as well as the superb new
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Kia K900. I should mention that the new K900 may just be the winner here if they could find a way to make it handle corners with a modicum of poise, something the 300C does umpteen times better no matter how hard it’s abused.
Rear-drive 300s, a category my test car fell into, get a new electric power steering system that helps reduce parasitic losses, the result of which is said to improve fuel usage by 1.5 percent compared to the belt-driven hydraulic pump. Chrysler also claims it improves on-centre tracking as well as steering NVH levels, while cutting required components and, of course, eliminating the need for power steering fluid. The car’s ECU modulates steering effort to driving conditions while analyzing steering angle, vehicle speed, engine rpms, and overall chassis control at a rate of 13 times per second.
A
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
number of other adjustments have been made to the 300’s fully independent suspension and axles, the body upgraded via ultra-high-strength steel in the upper front rail section, A-pillars, doors and windshield header, plus thin, lightweight dual-phased steel (said to have twice the rigidity of high-strength steel) in the inner-front rails and engine box area, as well as transformation-induced plasticity steel in the B-pillar, lower header and rockers. What’s more, nylon composite reinforcements are added to the upper header cavities and pillars whereas laser brazing is used for the subtly restyled 300’s unibody, smoothing out the roof panel and rail sections, helping maintain the car’s class leading interior quietness, or so claims Chrysler.
I took to a local mountain road to fully and completely test out the 300C Platinum’s capability. New Sport mode engaged, it remained completely planted within
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
its lane and completely confidence inspiring around long high-speed sweeping corners, while a number of tight doglegged hairpins truly tested the 300C’s mettle, the result being a performance sedan that responded exactly the way I want a rear-drive sedan to react. Traction and stability control turned off, the 300C’s back end predictably stepped sideways as the rear rubber lost grip, allowing a little tail wagging fun through the tightest curves (ok, a lot if you really gun it), while upon exiting each corner the engine’s 363 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque allowed speed to ramp up so quickly I was again reminded why the Hemi V8 is so adored by enthusiasts.
Of course, the engine output is only part of the story. The sound of the rumbling exhaust note and intoxicating roar at full throttle is the second half of the performance
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
equation. There’s nothing quite like a big V8 to put goose bumps on the forearms and a tingle in the spine, and while 350 cubic inches might have been considered a small-block in the days of yore, its modernized 5.7-litre measurement makes it a monster when compared to most anything from the European elites.
Like those Europeans the eight-speed automatic used for swapping cogs is a state of the art ZF unit, albeit dubbed TorqueFlite in Chrysler-speak, available for the first time with the Hemi V8 and produced under license in-house at Chrysler’s Kokomo, Indiana transmission plant, enhancing performance with ultra-quick shift increments and a set of overdrive gears for optimal highway economy. The new five-cycle EnerGuide system rates this drivetrain combination at 9.3 L/100km on the highway and 14.8 in the city, so my 13.8 L/100km weeklong average seems about
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
right for a combined rating and impressive for a V8-powered car as substantive as the 300C Platinum. I hardly pampered it either, enjoying numerous spirited drives, not enjoying lots of bumper-to-bumper inner-city traffic, and hardly wiling away time cruising the highway. Nevertheless the 300C Platinum was a joy to no matter where it was experienced, its ride exemplary and overall solidity comforting, while its serene cabin helped make grinding gridlock less painful.
Some of the Platinum trim features that provide distraction amid such ponderously slow movement included the luxury steering wheel, heated and cooled front cupholders, and paddle shifters I noted earlier, plus a dual-pane panoramic sunroof overhead, power-adjustable pedals hovering over luxury floor mats below, while passersby were able to take in this top-line model’s black grille with
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
platinum surrounds, platinum chrome side mirrors and door handles, and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels on 245/45R20 performance tires, the latter backed up by a touring suspension that as mentioned does a good job of controlling the V8 powertrain’s upgraded Sport mode that improves transmission (with 250-millisecond increments instead of 400), engine, and steering response.
Along with these exclusive Platinum upgrades I could also find diversion aplenty within the 8.4-inch full-colour high-resolution touchscreen infotainment system with
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
backup camera that was grandfathered up from the base model, although mine featured the optional Garmin navigation system for an additional $800, while the absolutely stunning primary gauge package with blue backlit accent lighting I mentioned earlier was nothing less than dazzling, its customizable multi-information display filled with useful features. Platinum trim comes standard with the regular 300C’s six-speaker Alpine stereo system featuring a 276-watt amplifier, but my tester had the Harmon/Kardon audio upgrade added on along with its 18 GreenEdge speakers plus sub and 900-watt GreenEdge amp, and believe me it was worth all 1,295 dollars even though it deleted the rear powered sunshade.
My
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
tester also included the $595 SafetyTec 1 package with additional power functionality, turn signals and courtesy lamps integrated into the side mirrors, ParkSense front and rear parking assist, as well as blind spot monitoring and cross path detection, although this package necessitated the inclusion of the $695 Light Group that added adaptive bi-xenon HID headlamps with auto-leveling.
A $995 SafetyTec 2 package can also be added featuring adaptive cruise control with auto-stop, rain-sensing wipers, auto high beam for the headlamps, full-speed forward collision warning, lane departure warning and advanced emergency brake assist.
Other items not already mentioned that were pulled up from lower trims included proximity-sensing
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
access with pushbutton ignition, remote start, a powered tilt and telescopic steering column, heated steering wheel rim, 12-way powered front seats with powered lumbar, two-way driver seat and radio memory, heatable and ventilated front seats, heatable rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate control with a humidity sensor, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, auto-dimming driver’s side mirror, auto-adjust-in-reverse side mirrors, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity with streaming audio, a media hub with an SD card slot plus three USB inputs and an auxiliary plug, automatic headlights, LED footwell and map pocket lighting, Chrysler emblems on the doorsill scuff guards, a garage door opener, illuminated cupholders within the rear seat armrest, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, LED fog lamps, LED taillights, a capless fuel filler, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction and stability control, active head restraints,
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
seven airbags including a driver’s knee blocker, and the list goes on and on.
Disappointments? Some of the silver trim circling the steering wheel was starting to peal off, a problem that Chrysler will want to address immediately. This was my only concern throughout my weeklong drive, and while it isn’t acceptable within any vehicle it should be noted that press cars aren’t always treated with the same level of love and devotion that most provide for their own cars.
On another note I should also mention that there’s no all-wheel drive option for the V8 this year, although AWD is still available with Chrysler’s award-winning 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 that comes standard in the 300. This engine produces 292 horsepower in regular trim and 300 in sporty 300S guise, while torque is respectively 260 or 264 lb-ft. The eight-speed automatic is standard with the entry-level
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
engine, whereas paddle shifters and Sport mode come with the 300S, while so-equipped all-wheel drive models set to full-time AWD with rear torque balance when the Sport mode is engaged.
While AWD is good for safety in the snowbelt and handy on the way to the ski hill, today’s traction and stability control make it less important than it was in years gone by. I certainly didn’t need it during my test week, although we’ve had it particularly dry this year and who knows what our crazy world will throw at us next year. Still, I’m ok with rear-drive, especially in a car as well sorted as the 300C Platinum.
Altogether the Jazz Blue Pearl paint job given to my 300C tester’s mildly revised mid-cycle updated sheetmetal looked fabulous and didn’t cost a penny extra, although
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| Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
the car I drove for a week came well-equipped with $5,735 in options, including $2,500 for the Hemi V8, which when added to the 300C Platinum’s base price of $43,595 plus $1,695 for freight and pre-delivery prep totaled $51,025, which is a paltry sum for such an incredibly luxurious full-size four-door with such impressive performance. Chrysler’s 300C may not offer the prestige of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series, but it has a swagger all its own that has certainly earned it significant street cred, while this Platinum model’s interior makes most of the Europeans seem downright dull in comparison, Rolls-Royce Series II excluded.
My advice? Buy the new 2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum and put your $40,000 to $400,000 of savings into an investment condo.
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