Chrysler 300 (2004)

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Chrysler
Chrysler 300 C
Chrysler 300 C
300
Production period: 2004-2010
Class : upper middle class
Body versions : Limousine , station wagon
Engines:
Otto engines : 2.7–6.1 liters
(142–317 kW)
Diesel engine :
3.0 liters (160 kW)
Length: 5015-5047 mm
Width: 1880 mm
Height: 1462-1507 mm
Wheelbase : 3048-3200 mm
Empty weight : 1805-2050 kg
Previous model Chrysler 300M
successor Chrysler 300 (2011)
Rating in IIHS - Crash Test (2005), moderate overlap front
G
Stars in the US NCAP crash test (2005), overall frontal rating 5 Stars

The Chrysler 300 2004 is one to 2010 by Chrysler -built passenger cars of the upper middle class .

The 'C' in the model name means higher quality equipment that was standard for the European market. The letter C for the trim level was chosen because the Chrysler 300C "letter series" from 1957 served as a model for this successor. Visually, it was based on the old 300C letter series and thus slightly designed in the so-called retro look .

At the beginning of 2011, the second generation of the Chrysler 300 was presented, which was only offered under the name Lancia Thema (until October 2014) in most European countries . In the USA, however, the model continues to be sold as the Chrysler 300.

predecessor

The Chrysler 300 was originally a vehicle of the so-called "Letter Series" (letter series) from Chrysler, which was first introduced in 1955. Letter stands for the letter behind the series, which used to be incremented with each model year in the alphabet. The name always starts with the model name 300 , followed by a letter. It was always the most powerful model of the respective year, which - in contrast to other equipment variants or models - was only available as a two-door coupé or cabriolet. In 1957 there was already a first 300C. While normal 300s continued to be offered, the exclusive letter series was temporarily terminated with the 300L (1965). Only with the appearance of the Chrysler 300M in 1999 did the last representative of Letter Cars come onto the market.

Model history

The new sedan of the Chrysler 300 was presented for the first time in 2003 at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) as a near-series concept vehicle, that of the station wagon at the IAA of the same year and in spring 2004 as a series version, whose formal premiere was at the North American International Auto Show Held in 2004, for the 2005 model year.

In contrast to its predecessor, the Chrysler 300 has rear-wheel drive and offered a level of comfort comparable to its predecessor, the Chrysler 300M, at a lower price. The 300 was only offered in Europe from the higher-end equipment line 300C , the basic model 300 was not officially available and only reserved for the American market.

A station wagon of the 300 was also offered, which was named 300C Touring in Europe . In the USA, a similar station wagon was offered under the name Dodge Magnum .

A facelift took place in the summer of 2007 : the third brake light was no longer integrated in the rear window, but in the trunk lid, which was given a spoiler edge in the form of a spoiler. The headlights were bigger and the taillights redesigned so that the reversing lights were now at the bottom of the light unit. The interior was designed to be of a significantly higher quality. The partial leather seats were now also available in anthracite. The ignition key was taken over from Mercedes-Benz.

technology

All model versions share the LX platform from Chrysler, which contained numerous components from the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (210 series) and also acted as the platform for the Dodge Charger . In addition to the chassis, the main parts that have been adopted are the front seat consoles , the wiring harness, the steering column, the five-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive derived from the 4MATIC system .

Drive and equipment

The basic model 300C 2.7 has 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, a tire pressure monitoring system , cruise control , parking aid , xenon headlights , four disc brakes, traction control, electronic stability program (ESP), front, side and head airbags and a four- speed automatic transmission . It is powered by a 2.7-liter V6 petrol engine with a maximum output of 142 kW (193 hp).

There is also a 3.5-liter V6 engine with a maximum output of 183 kW (249 hp) in the 300C 3.5 .

The 300C 5.7 has a 5.7 liter Hemi V8 engine. The control of this engine switched off four cylinders when the power requirement was low ( cylinder deactivation ) in order to reduce fuel consumption. If all eight cylinders are active, the engine delivered up to 250 kW (340 hp) and had a maximum torque of 525 Nm at 4000 min -1 .

The top model was the 300C SRT-8 , which is powered by a 6.1-liter Hemi V8 engine with a maximum output of 317 kW (431 hp). In addition to the more powerful engine and the corresponding brakes, it differs from the other equipment versions both externally (20-inch wheels, aerodynamics package) and in the interior (leather / Alcantara sports seats). In the exterior design, almost all the chrome elements that make up the other models have been omitted.

The 300C 3.0 CRD is powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine from Mercedes-Benz with a standard soot particle filter and a five-speed automatic transmission. This V6 engine with 3.0 liter displacement has a common rail - direct injection with piezoelectrically controlled injector , provides a maximum of 160 kW (218 hp) and developed thereby with a maximum torque of 510 Nm at 1600 min -1 .

  • Chrysler 300C Touring

  • Chrysler 300 Base Model in United States

  • Chrysler 300C SRT8

  • Chrysler 300C SRT8

  • Engine compartment 300C 3.0 CRD

  • Interior view with optionally available navigation

    Inside view 300C - US model

safety

In the crash tests carried out for the 2005 model year, the vehicle was rated five stars for a frontal impact according to US NCAP criteria and "Good" by the IIHS in the "Moderate overlap front" test.

production

The Chrysler 300C for markets outside North America was manufactured by Magna Steyr in Graz from June 2005 . In contrast, the one for the North American markets in Brampton , Ontario , Canada .

successor

The successor of the same name, the Chrysler 300 (2011) , has been available since the beginning of 2011 , the development of which was still ongoing when Fiat was already in the process of taking over Chrysler, with a new body and a different diesel engine (never available in North America), which continues to be known as the Chrysler 300 in the USA is offered in Europe, however, except for example in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia and Ukraine in the course of the merger of Chrysler and Lancia until October 2014 as Lancia Thema was offered. For the Lancia Thema there were matching emblems and conversion kits to make it look like a Chrysler. The technology was largely taken over from its predecessor, so that, for example, a Mercedes 5-speed automatic transmission continued to work in conjunction with the diesel engine.

Others

From 2004 to 2007, Barack Obama , later President of the USA, drove a 300C.

In the second season of the television series Desperate Housewives , 'Bree Van De Kamp' drives a Chrysler 300.

Press coverage

According to ADAC , the Chrysler 300C is a car that comparatively seldom “breaks down” on the road. "Relatively few breakdowns" were recorded in the statistics of the automobile club. The most common defects were the crankshaft sensors on diesel models built in 2006. In addition, according to ADAC, more and more battery defects occur from the third year of operation. Obviously in connection with the weak power storage, some owners in Internet forums also report minor electronic problems.

Because there is a lot of Mercedes technology in the Chrysler 300C, things look much better in terms of the drive train, according to Spiegel Online ; The fact that the 300C platform contains many E-Class components is seen as a clear advantage in terms of reliability.

According to the auto magazine auto motor und sport , the 300C is not loud when driving, but it sounds rough. The chassis passes small bumps in the road to the occupants, tends to rumble when driving over rough joints and one wishes for the horizon of a straight motorway on narrow country roads. The Chrysler is most likely to leave behind the feeling of a heavy sedan of classic design; But he could not understand the mobility of his classmates.

Furthermore, the poor quality and the materials in the interior are criticized. The plastic on the dashboard and the pitman arm would look and feel “cheap”. One often has the feeling that something can break quickly. The lower price of the 300C compared to other luxury class sedans is visible in many details. The problem-free operation must be consoled over an interior, in whose plastic wood strips the grid points are visible and the sparkling plastic applications would remind you a little too clearly of tinsel . Above all, the 300C lacks fine-tuning in everyday driving.

Therefore, the processing quality remained below the standards of German car manufacturers such as BMW or Mercedes-Benz , but the new prices were significantly lower in comparison.

Chrysler took this criticism to heart during the facelift at the end of 2007 and designed the interior to be of much higher quality and improved the insulation, so some cavities were filled with foam.

The exterior design of the Chrysler 300C is also controversial because of its beefy appearance with the high window line. Often the narrow side windows are mocked as "loopholes".

The relatively high fuel consumption caused by the high curb weight, among other things, was criticized. The diesel engine, which was added in 2005, is economical compared to the gasoline engine and brings the vehicle, which weighs around two tons, forward quickly.

Technical specifications

In Europe, the Chrysler 300C was delivered in five variants:

model Motor type Engine type Cubic capacity
cm³		 Max. Power
kW (hp) at min -1 		Max. Torque
Nm at min -1 		Acceleration,
0-100 km / h		 Top speed Fuel consumption transmission construction time
2.7 V6 Gasoline engine V6 2736 142 (193) / 6400 257/4000 11.1 s 209 km / h 10.7 l / 100 km 4- speed automatic transmission 2004-2007
3.5 V6 3518 183 (249) / 6400 340/3800 09.2 s 219 km / h 11.1 l / 100 km 4-speed automatic transmission / 5-speed automatic transmission (1)
5.7 Hemi-V8 V8 5654 250 (340) / 5000 525/4000 06.4 s 250 km / h 12.3 l / 100 km 5-speed automatic transmission (2) 2004-2010
6.1 Hemi-V8
SRT8 		6063 317 (431) / 6000 569/4600 05.4 s 265 km / h 14.2 l / 100 km 5-speed automatic transmission
3.0 CRD Diesel engine V6 2987 160 (218) / 4000 510/1600 07.6 s 230 km / h 08.1 l / 100 km

Remarks:

  • All factory information
(1)in touring also as AWD with 5-speed automatic transmission
(2) in touring also as AWD

Registration numbers

Between 2004 and 2011, 11,295 Chrysler 300Cs were newly registered in the Federal Republic of Germany. There were 7666 by the beginning of 2010. With 3,105 units, 2006 was the most successful sales year.

Source: Federal Motor Transport Authority

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b 2005 Chrysler 300. In: iihs.org. Retrieved March 12, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b 2005 CHRYSLER 300 4 DR | NHTSA. In: nhtsa.gov. Accessed March 12, 2019 (English, extended report in PDF format: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/MEDIA/GetMedia.aspx?tstno=5130&index=1&database=V&type=R , http: //www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/MEDIA/GetMedia.aspx?tstno=5130&index=5&database=V&type=R ).
  3. Jump up ↑ Martin Padgett: 2003 NY Show: Chrysler 300C. In: thecarconnection.com. April 16, 2003, accessed March 12, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Chrysler 300C Touring Concept: Baroque vice - SPIEGEL ONLINE. In: spiegel.de. September 4, 2003, accessed March 12, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Brandy A. Schaffels: 2004 Detroit Auto Show - MotorTrend. In: motortrend.com. January 5, 2004. Retrieved March 12, 2019 (American English).
  6. ↑ Chrysler: 300C is being refreshed - auto motor und sport. In: auto-motor-und-sport.de. November 13, 2007, accessed March 12, 2019 .
  7. ^ John Neff: 2008 Chrysler 300C rolled out quietly - Autoblog. In: autoblog.com. September 19, 2007, accessed March 12, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Marc Rozman, David Zatz: Burke Brown, LX Car Leader, on the 300C, Magnum, Charger, Challenger, and Hemi. In: allpar.com. Retrieved May 8, 2014 .
  9. ↑ Chrysler 300C Touring 3.0 CRD in the test: US mess with European engine | hot cars. In: heise.de. September 15, 2005, accessed on March 12, 2019 (Permalink: https://heise.de/-484079 ).
  10. ↑ Chrysler Group starts European production of the Chrysler 300C at Magna Steyr in Austria | MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG, June 15, 2005. In: ots.at. OTS / MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG, June 15, 2005, accessed on March 12, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Brampton sets production milestone - WHEELS.approx. In: wheels.ca. August 16, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2019 (American English).
  12. ^ Chrysler 300C. (No longer available online.) Chrysler.co.uk, archived from the original on January 25, 2012 ; accessed on January 19, 2012 (English): "Arriving Summer 2012"
  13. ↑ Ruth Manuel-Logan: What Kind of Cars Do our Politicians Drive? In: Examiner.com. November 2, 2010, archived from the original on May 8, 2014 ; accessed on December 23, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Not for sale: Chrysler 300C SRT-8 from Barack Obama - autobild.de. In: autobild.de. February 2, 2012, accessed March 12, 2019 .
  15. ^ Chrysler 300C and Desperate Housewifes. Coolspotters (English). Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  16. ↑ a b c d e f g Roman Büttner: Chrysler 300 as a used: American sled with electricity problems. In: Spiegel Online. May 5, 2011, accessed December 23, 2018 .
  17. ↑ a b Christian Steiger: Lexus GS 300, Citroën C6, Chrysler 300C: The alternative - auto motor und sport. In: auto-motor-und-sport.de. May 22, 2006, accessed on March 12, 2019 (former URL: http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/vergleichstest/artikel/lexus-gs-300-citroen-c6-chrysler-300c-die -alternative-3-761807.html ).

Web links

Commons : Chrysler 300  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files