Chrysler 300 — graceful to growly

New safety items on tap

On the 60th anniversary of the original 300, Chrysler unveiled the 2015 model.

As Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of the SRT Brand and chief design guru, explained, “Sometimes it’s necessary to over-design a car because it does not have the right proportions. With the 300, we had awesome proportions, so all we had to do was lift the pen at the right time.”

No question about the proportions — they are first rate — and the look is more refined and now has a fluidity it previously lacked. It is a head-turner for sure.

The new 300 will be offered in different flavours, including 300 Limited, 300C, 300C Platinum and 300S models.

The 300S, when dressed in a vibrant red with black 20-inch wheels says it means business. The Platinum, conversely, is all about luxury. From its quilted Nappa leather, hand-sanded wood trim and Poltrona Frau leather-wrapped dash, it brings upscale luxury to an affordable level.

Engines include a 292-horsepower 3.6-L V6 (300 hp in the S) and the 5.7-L Hemi V8 with 363 hp.

All variants get an eightspeed transmission with a rotary shifter (and paddle shifters on some models).

New for 2015 is a Sport button that sharpens the throttle response, backs off the electronic nanny and firms the steering. On AWD models it also sends more power rearward.

Inside, materials and instrumentation are noticeably richer and there are now more than 80 safety or security features available, from: adaptive cruise and lane-departure warning to a forward-collision warning system that can bring the 300 to a full stop if a collision is imminent.