In your face, the 2015 Chrysler 300 grille is 30% larger than the outgoing model's.
It’s big, bold and in your face. And to fans, that’s the best part of the Chrysler 300 sedan. If anything, the maker may have backed off a bit too much when the full-size model was redesigned several years ago, says Chrysler’s top stylist. It isn’t making that mistake again as it rolls out an updated 2015 Chrysler 300 family at this year’s L.A. Auto Show.
The mid-cycle update picks up on the most critical cues of the 2005 sedan, as well as the original 1955 Chrysler 300, according to design director Ralph Gilles, who says the goal was to give the 2015 Chrysler 300 “the presence and attitude it deserves.”
It also gets a new model in the mix, the 300C Platinum, which gives the sedan a much more upscale appearance and feel.
“That’s what this car has to go back to,” adds Chrysler President Al Gardner, who concedes the last update was a little too bland to remain the brand’s “gold standard.”
The new 2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum and the sportier Chrysler 300S sedan.
That 2005 model was dubbed the “Baby Bentley” by reviewers, and some owners went as far as trading out the stock Chrysler 300 grille for a Bentley-like design.
With the new 2015 update, the grille of the 300 is nearly a third larger, picking up a chrome band first seen on the smaller Chrysler 200 sedan. There are two distinct textures, a “winglet” pattern on the more luxurious 300C, and a “honeycomb” design on the sportier 300S.
The lights have been relocated and are “cleaner, more modern,” the maker suggested during a background briefing priority to the sedan’s L.A. unveiling. There are new LED foglights now mounted lower on the nose. The 300 also gets new LED running lights.
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There’s an oversized, rectangular twin rear exhaust and a new blackout rear valance panel. And the sedan gets a more aggressive deck spoiler and side sills.
The 300S gets a new honecomb grille to emphasize its more sporty nature.
The 300S is the more visually aggressive model, and along with the honeycomb grille features black chrome and black finishes, along with hyper-black wheels.
The various versions of the Chrysler 300 can be ordered with anything from 17-inch to 20-inch wheels and tires.
If there was a complaint about the original 300 line it was the plasticky interior that didn’t live up to the elegant promise of the exterior. Chrysler began to address that with the outgoing model – and take things a step further with the 2015 300 line. That’s all the more apparent with the addition of the Platinum edition.
Among the high-line details, buyers will discover hand-crafted, open pore wood and contrasting fabrics. The 300C Platinum will also feature quilted Nappa leather, a Poltrona Frau leather-wrapped instrument panel and console, and platinum-chrome exterior details.
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The 300C Platinum edition is designed to push into luxury territory with details like Poltrana Frau leather.
All models adopt Chrysler’s 8-speed automatic gearbox which is now controlled by a rotary shifter knob, “to get modern and clean up” the center console, explained interior designer Chris Benjamin.
Buyers will be offered two initial powertrain options, a 304-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6, standard on the S model, and an optional 363-hp Hemi V-8 will launch the big sedan from 0 to 60 in just under six seconds, according to Chrysler’s own testing.
Also available for 2015, the new Chrysler 300 will get four optional new safety features:
- A backup camera;
- Active Cruise Control with automatic stop-and-go;
- Forward Collision Warning with auto-braking;
- Land Departure Warning and Assist – using a windshield-mounted camera.
Yes, it can have a Hemi.
The 2015 Chrysler 300C also will be the latest model Fiat Chrysler offers with an optional built-in 4g LTE WiFi hotspot. An 8.4-inch touchscreen to operate various car functions and the Uconnect system is available.
With all the changes, Chrysler hopes to restore the original 300 sedan’s bold relevance, said Gardner. It was a car “that when you saw it coming down the road you knew what it was and you knew you wanted to drive it.”
The 2015 Chrysler 300 will start at $31,995, the same as the outgoing model.
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