Chrysler 300 SRT 2015 Review

Packing the sort of V8 muscle that usually requires significant modification to shoe-horn into an engine bay, the monstrous 6.4-litre Hemi pushrod eight-cylinder engine that powers the Chrysler 300 SRT sedan is an absolute pearler.

Okay, so each of these V8 engines is single-handedly speeding up the melting of the polar ice-caps and making one in three baby echidnas asthmatic. It uses aeons-old pushrod valves and requires a fuel-tanker to follow it around, despite the cylinder deactivation tech that turns it into a four-cylinder engine…

But when you open the taps and are gently squeezed into the wide, cushy sports seats, the V8 snarl reverberating within each and every bone in your body, all is seemingly forgiven.

The noise, the G-force, and the throttle response combine to deliver an experience that is, well, completely addictive.

A sometime rival to the HSV Clubsport and the late FPV GT, pricing for the Chrysler 300 SRT starts at $59,000 for the entry-level 'Core' variant that gets 20-inch alloy wheels Brembo and more. Check out the Chrysler 300 SRT pricing story for more specification detail.

That works out to about $3000 less than the HSV Clubsport and it offers good bang for your buck, not to mention significantly more power and torque than the Commodore-based street car.

This much was evident during the 300 SRT's national launch which saw a few hundred kilometres of country road driving from Wagga Wagga to Temora airport – where the car's excessively powerful V8 was able to really stretch its legs on the airstrip.

Packed with the lustrous V8 that's good for 350kW at 6150rpm and 637Nm at 4250rpm, the car accelerates from standstill and cruising speeds with ferocity. And while the Chrysler 300 SRT was never a shy, introverted vehicle, it was a little rough around the edges, something this model addresses.

It benefits from a subtle new look that includes cleaner LED lights front and rear, and minor changes to the body work – including brake cooling ducts below the fog lights in the front fascia. But it's the improved eight-speed gearbox, updated steering, modified suspension and interior tweaks that really elevate this big American.

The changes made by the SRT boffins in Michigan result in a more refined, relaxed and quieter cruiser, the new eight-speed gearbox far and away making the biggest difference to the way the vehicle responds. It provides a more flexible platform for the gargantuan V8 to exert its significant influence, while delivering smoother shifts at civilised speeds.

The view from the driver's seat is not Mercedes-Benz level (despite owing its underpinnings to Stuttgart) but the instrument cluster has a sporty look and feel that's easy to read. The new rotary gear shifter gadget doesn't feel as fancy as that found in a modern Jaguar either – largely because it's cheap grey plastic – but it's a welcome change-up for the cabin nonetheless.

There's loads of room for occupants front and rear, the boot is deep and it's an easy car to drive sedately, despite its ridiculous power output.

Step up to the 'premium' 300 SRT ($69,000) models and you get a range of electronic driver aids such as lane keeping assist and radar cruise control, satnav, along with a belter of a Harman Kardon 19-speaker stereo. Adaptive Bilstein shock absorbers with three settings and leather seats improve the luxury quotient considerably and for many buyers it'll be worth the extra $10K.

That said, even the regular non-adjustable Bilstein dampers on the 300 SRT Core deliver a decent blend of comfort and dynamism.

Make no mistake though, this is not an agile, flickable corner carver.

On flowing, open corners it's fine, blasting along with nary a care in the world, the countryside becoming a green-brown blur. But Chrysler's heavy barge weighs around two tonnes and is ponderous on tighter corners. The steering also provides little in the way of meaningful feedback.

Indeed, smashing out fast laps on the race track or attacking hairpin corners is not the Chrysler 300 SRT's raison d'etre. It's a bit of a one-trick-pony suited to going fast in a straight line, but that it does exceptionally well.

At full bore, the eight-speed TorqueFlite gearbox snaps through ratios with equal portions of confidence and vehemence and there's an angry burble between shifts too. The new cog-swapper also brings an easy-to-use launch control system with configurable rev settings, resulting in compelling standing stands.

We tested the launch system at the Temora airstrip and although we didn't have our data acquisition tools on hand, the seat-of-the-pants-o-meter tells us that it's properly berserk, approaching 100km/h and then surpassing 200km/h with alarming ease.

Though it might be a pushrod V8 engine, the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 features an active intake manifold and high-lift cams that impart a level flexibility not always experienced in large displacement engines. It revs quickly and cleanly and is hugely satisfying to wind up.

And the sound? Be still my beating heart.

The bassy gurgle-gurgle that enters the cabin is lovely – not exactly loud yet not subdued either. But when you hear it launch as a bystander it's soul-stirring stuff, instantly releasing a full-bodied bellow than turns into an angry snarl at higher revs.

The V8's precisely controlled explosions and the rhythm of its rising/falling pistons piped through a complex plumbing matrix never gets dull.

Riding on big 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 245/45 Z-rated Goodyear tyres, ride quality is acceptable but gets a little harsh on shoddy, chopped-up back roads. Traction is likewise decent above walking speeds but from standstill even the Getrag mechanical limited slip differential struggles to keep the rear end tied down. If you have an airstrip at your disposal this is no bad thing; the 300 SRT is considerably more progressive (and more fun) to drift than an Audi RS 6.

On the road, it requires judicious use of the loud pedal when pulling out of T-intersections, and hard starts also require a modicum of composure. It will chew through tyres, no doubt, but for buyers seeking an alternative to an HSV I don't think it'll be a deal-breaker.

Although the brakes felt a bit touchy at first, they were more than capable of slowing the car's plump mass. And even on the airstrip, deceleration from 200km/h was no problem for the big four-piston Brembo brake calipers at each corner, which bite down hard on large 360mm and 340mm rotors front and rear respectively.

Dropped from the Chrysler menu in the USA as part of SRT's shift towards the Dodge brand, this 300 SRT has been upgraded primarily for the Australian market, after the company's local arm lobbied hard to keep the vehicle from death's door.

SRT, or Street and Racing Technology, agreed to develop the car further and although it's not clear if these naturally-aspirated V8 juggernauts will be around forever, I hope it's for a while longer because they're hugely entertaining.

There's a handful of positives about this car, and a truck full of negatives, including running costs and particularly fuel consumption… Chrysler claims a consumption figure of 13.L/100km on the combined cycle; we recorded a much, much higher figure – more than 20L/100km.

Yet for all its shortcomings the Chrysler 300 SRT is still an appealing car. It's a car that talks to the heart, not the head, but throw in a 'sleeper' look and feel, and it may find favour with HSV ClubSport owners tired of being challenged at every single traffic light stop... but who still want a rip-snorting V8.

Get 'em while they last!

2015 Chrysler 300 SRT Core pricing and specifications: