2010 Chrysler 300

Chrysler is primed to become the first automaker bringing a retractable-top sedan to market. In place are plans to bring a car based on the next-generation Chrysler Group LX platform. Unfortunately this won't happen any earlier than the 2010 model year.

 

The update Chrysler is making to the LX is quite similar to the update that the LH full-size front-drive platform made in 1998. It is a massive evolution. Architecture will be the same, but improvements will be made with multiple refinements. Chrysler may not have locked in its' design just yet but based on the designs of the previous two generations (Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid) the next 300 is going to be a more mature and refined version of the current model.

History and Run Through

Created in 2004 for the 2005 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum with the Charger added later. Next-gen LX will have to incorporate more models and will need to create new trends. Examples of how Chrysler Group plans to remain hip and competitive in 2009 are the retractable-top convertible and an all new Dodge Challenger.

Based on our run-through of the newest Dodge Ram which demonstrates Chrysler's renewed interest in interior quality, the new 300 will most likely use similarly improved materials. Sticking with the clean theme of the exterior, the new cabin appears simple and refined. The instrument panel houses two large circular gauges, similar to those in the Ram, while a large display operating Chrysler's UConnect infotainment system tops the center console. The climate controls reside below the screen.

Exterior Walkaround

Chrysler faced the difficult challenge of reinventing an icon when it went to the drawing board for the next 300. The new 300 possesses a shape similar to that of its predecessor, but looks more elegant. Up front, Chrysler moves to a new corporate grille, first previewed on the Imperial concept and most recently, the 200C EV concept shown at the 2009 Detroit auto show. The thin horizontal chrome bars are sleeker than the egg crate worn by the current car, and they give the new 300 less of a boxy, road-barge look. Headlight clusters are squared and smoothed, while the front bumper is much more integrated, tightening up the chin.

The 300 will again feature fender flares, but the lower part of the arch is much less prominent. The upper body crease creates a gently arching shoulder in place of the straight and sharp line of the current model and the new 300 also loses the side molding, giving the upper crease more definition. Expect visibility to be improved though slimmer A-pillars, more glass, and a much smaller C-pillar created through the use of a small A-frame window at the rear. 

Although there is no view of the rear, expect to see a significant change from the current car. We anticipate the rear will mimic the clean front styling of the car, better integrating the exhaust tips in the lower valance. LED taillights are nearly a certainty.

Design Information

Magna Steyr, who is currently working with design for the 300, is the combination of Canada's Magna International and Austria's Steyr-Daimler-Puch. Magna International's president is Mark Hogan, a rising corporate star and lifer at General Motors until he left for the supplier in late 2004.

 

If Chrysler is able to pull this off they will certainly add more prestige and keep themselves at the forefront of cutting edge design. A complex folding steel roof covering four doors in a large sedan seems difficult, but Magna Steyr, who took over for Chrysler rejected ASC, is one of the biggest suppliers in the business.

Hemi fans can relax, as the V-8 featuring cylinder deactivation will carry over from the existing model, and it should boast increases in both power and fuel economy. Chrysler says that the new 300 will also be available with an all-new fuel-efficient six-cylinder engine, likely the Phoenix line the company has been promising, which we think will produce at least 260 hp. New safety features will include rear cross-path and blind-spot monitoring systems. Most, if not all, of these features will likely carry over to a similarly redesigned 2010 Dodge Charger.

Read Edmunds.com History of the 300c for a look back on past models.  The newly designed Chrysler 300 appears to be shaping up nicely. With a folding steel roof it truly adds the best of both worlds. Chrysler appears to have a successful formula with a mix of style, class, and a bit of power (with the added Hemi engine). This is definitely not a car to miss in 2010 for the consumer looking for something to rival the current leader Mercedes CLS.  For more information on the 300C, click here.