Pricing for the 2012 Chrysler 300 will start at $28,000 and nudge up to $42,000.
Chrysler will launch its new 300 sedan, early this year, for a starting price of just under $28,000, the automaker today announced. A fully-loaded 300C will push into the mid-$40,000 range.
One of the most important launches for the Detroit-based maker this year – and arguably the foundation of a planned comeback for the Chrysler brand – the 300 is aimed at re-establishing the maker as more than just an also-ran in the luxury car market.
The outgoing 300 was an instant success after its launch, seven years ago, critically hailed for its retro-tinged styling. The new model maintains many of the bolder styling cues but introduces a more refined feel to the design – especially when it comes to the interior.
Chrysler has redesigned the interior of most of its key products for 2011, addressing one of the biggest and most consistent criticisms leveled against the maker. (For a closer look at the 2012 Chrysler 300 sedan’s design, Click Here.)
The base version of the 2012 Chrysler 300 will carry a $27,995 sticker, while a top-line 300C with a Hemi V8 and all-wheel-drive will list for $41,195. Add destination and option prices and the new model could push several thousand dollars higher.
The previous-generation 300 arrived at a time when fuel prices were relatively low and American demand for large cars and trucks – and big engines – was peaking. But rising fuel prices have led to a downsizing of demand, some makers abandoning V8s entirely or relegating them to relatively insignificant niche products.
Add competition, Chrysler’s financial and quality problems and the 300 has seen a steady decline in sales. Volume peaked in the year after its 2004 launch at 171,000, but fell to just 37,000 in 2010.