No time to die: the “ancient” Chrysler 300 will linger on the conveyor

This large sedan has seen a lot in its lifetime and survived three corporations – DaimlerChrysler, just Chrysler and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Today, Chrysler is one of the weakest brands in the new auto giant Stellantis, and the 300 is the oldest of its three remaining models. There is nothing to replace it yet, although demand is fading, it is still there, so the Chrysler 300 remains in service and is preparing for the 2022 model year.

The Chrysler 300 and related Dodge Charger are the brainchild of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, combining American style and German engineering. The Dodge Charger has long become a living classic and is associated primarily with muscle cars: in the class of large non-premium sedans on the American market, it is now an absolute bestseller – 42,103 units were sold in the first half of this year. Another thing is that this class has long been considered depressive, except for the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, there is no one left in it! GM and Ford ruthlessly cracked down on their big sedans, followed by Asian brands. Among the latest losses are Toyota Avalon, Kia Cadenza and Kia K900.

The “300th” sold 11,062 units in the first half of 2021, 29,213 units were sold for the entire pre-Covid 2019, and the distant 2005 was the best sales year in the history of the model – then 144,068 units were sold.

The Chrysler 300 debuted as a concept in 2003, and the production version entered the market in 2004 (in some markets, including the current one, the sedan was known as the 300C). In 2011, the “three hundredth” experienced a deep restyling, as a result of which it received a more noble appearance and a much better interior. In the same year, the Chrysler 300 had a European clone in the face of the Lancia Thema, but the “Italian” lasted only four years in production, after which it was eliminated due to low demand. And the Chrysler 300 lives on.

Last year, before the merger of Groupe PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles into the Stellantis corporation, there were rumors that the Chrysler brand could be sent to the archive as unnecessary, but after the merger, the head of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, said that all brands would be saved and would get a chance to survive and develop. It's another matter that weak brands are not a priority, their renewal and development will begin after letter brands and on new electric mobility platforms that corporations have yet to master. Stellantis' first-half report for Chrysler didn't announce any “green” releases for the next 2.5 years, meaning that Chrysler's current meager lineup will continue until better times. In addition to the “three hundredth”, it includes two minivans, Pacifica and Voyager, and Voyager is a converted and cheaper Pacifica. That is, the models

The Chrysler 300 will enter the 2022 model year with the same powertrain range, but with slightly reduced options, packages and trimmed colors. Complete sets Touring and Touring L come with a 3.6-liter naturally aspirated petrol V6 (296 hp, 353 Nm) and an 8-speed hydromechanical “automatic”, and the drive can be rear or full. Chrysler 300S with a sportier suspension can only be rear-wheel drive, it is offered with a slightly more torquey V6 (304 hp, 358 Nm) or with a top-end 5.7-liter V8 HEMI (368 hp, 534 Nm).

The 2022 Touring L will get standard black front trim and black 20-inch wheels, while the Chrysler 300S will get Uconnect navigation and a nine-speaker premium audio system with a subwoofer as standard. In addition, all versions will receive a new, more efficient air filtration system.

Let's add that recently the sales of Chrysler cars have been frozen since the beginning of this year, although there were no official statements about the brand's departure, the site continues to work. The Chrysler 300 sedan left our market in 2014.