It weighs two tonnes, looks like a mini Bentley, and seemingly eats small cars for breakfast! If you happen to have a car of this description bearing down on you, rest assured, you will get out of the way. Drive the Chrysler 300C, then, and you’ll be amazed to see that even the unruly traffic in our nation’s capital develops immediate etiquette – it’s actually quite remarkable.

As we reported last month, Chrysler could use the Tata Motors-Fiat JV to introduce the brand in India in an attempt to claim a piece of the ever-growing luxury car market – a potential alliance made possible by Fiat’s 20% stake in the rejuvenated Chrysler Group LLC, formed following the company’s re-emergence from US bankruptcy court after just 60 days. What better time, then, to try out what would be Chrysler’s most appropriate model presently for Indian shores?

From the Outside

Words such as ‘audacious’ and ‘imposing’ don’t really do justice to the kind of presence that the 300C really has. This is not a svelte machine, it’s a large car with broad shoulders and straight lines. Let’s just say that you wouldn’t mess with whoever’s inside – you just wouldn’t.

	What’s most surprising is that the Chrysler doesn’t wallow like a traditional American luxury barge. The chassis is surprisingly stiff and responsive. The 300C turns in very well, and you can even get the car to slide a little on turn in if you’re so inclined

This particular car was the diesel version of the Chrysler 300C, but looked suspiciously like the 300C SRT-8, which is a very special model indeed. SRT, which stands for Street Racing Technology, is the in-house high performance arm of Chrysler – best known for their monstrous Hemi V8 engines. The SRT-8 in question has a 6.1 liter Hemi V8 that produces 425 horsepower, and accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in under 5 seconds. The 300C CRD, instead, has a 3.0 liter, turbocharged, diesel engine producing 215 horsepower. They look eerily similar, however, courtesy of an SRT package fitted to our test car, which includes a front grille with a chromed billet aluminum shell and a Bentley-like inner mesh. It also includes massive 20-inch forged and polished 12-spoke aluminum rims that add to its already mighty presence on the road.

It really does look every bit the mini Bentley – evidenced by the number of such inquiries from the many intrigued passers-by.

From the Inside

	Words such as ‘audacious’ and ‘imposing’ don’t really do justice to the kind of presence that the 300C really has. Let’s just say that you wouldn’t mess with whoever’s inside – you just wouldn’t

As you sit in the drivers’ seat, you try and take in the sheer vastness of the bonnet that stretches out in front of you – simply because of its square shape, rather than its actual dimensions mind you. The first thing that you notice in the cabin as well is that everything appears to be XXL, which is not entirely surprising if you’ve seen the individual portions in American restaurants.

The seats are throne-like and commodious to say the least, which means that they’re extremely comfortable. You tend to sink into the rear bench, and hope the journey lasts as long as possible so that you can enjoy the comforts of the 300C’s cabin. Even ordinarily small pieces of trim such as the door handles are massive, and the steering wheel has a diameter such that you feel as though you’re at the helm of a ship. The quality of materials are largely okay, but there are several pieces of hard plastic that are unworthy in what would be considered a luxury car in India.



The Chrysler makes up some lost ground, however, on the technology front. The SRT package means that this 300C comes with a 6-speaker Boston Acoustic audio system that sounds quite impressive. It also comes with 8-way electronically adjustable front seats, and a very easy to use touch screen CD/DVD infotainment system that has a 20GB inbuilt hard drive – in which you can store upto 1,600 songs and even photos. It also has front and rear side-curtain airbags, xenon HID headlamps, rain sensing wipers and a rear park assist system.

On the whole, the interior is very comfortable – albeit not very exciting, as its largely grey with the exception of silver trim on the center console, as well as a smattering of imitation carbon fiber elsewhere in the cabin.

On the Road



As mentioned previously, this 300C is powered by a relatively sedate 3.0 liter diesel engine, as opposed to the ludicrously powerful 6.1 liter Hemi in the SRT-8. And while the Hemi would be considerably more entertaining, the diesel actually does a reasonable job of propelling this behemoth down the road. Besides, if you did have the Hemi, you’d also need an oil tanker on hand at all times to quench its insatiable thirst.

Since the 300C was developed during the optimistic days of the Daimler-Chrysler merger, it has a great deal of Mercedes influence under the skin – most of which comes from the previous generation E Class of the 1996 to 2002 vintage. Not only is the suspension design and rear differential Mercedes derived, but in this case so is the engine and 5-speed automatic transmission, which is no bad thing of course.

The aluminum engine is incredibly quiet and smooth for a diesel. In fact, the diesel clatter is so minimal that it’s even hard to distinguish it as being an oil burner from outside the car, leave alone from within the vast quarters of its cabin. Moreover the 215bhp and generous 376lb/ft of torque developed by the motor appears quite adequate. You would think that despite this magnitude of torque, really shifting something this big would be quite a task, but this engine never feels strained or harsh. The direct injection unit is very linear in its power delivery, and the turbo kicks in very early on to ensure swift progress when the need arises. Kick-down can be slow when you first step on the pedal however. But once the transmission shifts into a lower gear, the 300C surges forward and continues through the ratios very smoothly and purposefully indeed.

What’s most surprising, however, is that the Chrysler doesn’t wallow like a traditional American luxury barge. The chassis is surprisingly stiff and responsive. Of course, the handling is helped in large part by the 20-inch rims and wide tires, despite which the ride quality isn’t bad. You can feel the nuances of the road, but it won’t shatter any fillings. In addition, the steering isn’t as heavy as you’d expect either, considering the size of the tires. The power assisted rack and pinion is surprisingly sharp and responsive, albeit completely devoid of feel – but then the E Class was never a very communicative machine to begin with. The 300C turns in very well, and you can even get the car to slide a little on turn in if you’re so inclined. But here again, it’s controlled and unthreatening, and the traction and stability control will actually allow a slight slide before the safety net kicks in. The body roll is minimal, and for a large car, the 300C is surprisingly flat and comfortable through the corners. You’re always aware of its size, but it doesn’t feel like a liability as you’d imagine. Moreover, the 300C isn’t exactly built for hooliganism – it’s designed to ferry its passengers in a comfortable and secure manner, a task it accomplishes very well indeed.

Verdict



The 300C is an interesting blend of American muscle with Germanic underpinnings. It certainly has road presence and will ensure that you get noticed, not to mention approached cautiously – if at all. It’s actually a very capable machine and a unique alternative to the more sensible luxury cars on our roads – perhaps a little rough around the edges, but comfortable, powerful and entertaining all the same. It allows you to live large, American style. And with the diesel, you also have the comfort of knowing that there’s a practical Mercedes drivetrain under its arresting exterior.