Chrysler 300 SRT-8 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $66,000
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Dual-plane Panoramic Sunroof ($2500), Premium Paint ($495)
Crash rating: TBA
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 13.0
CO2 emissions (g/km): 303
Also consider:  FPV GT ($70,790) FPV GT E ($82,490), HSV ClubSport Auto ($66,990 drive-away) HSV GTS Auto ($84,990)

A curious blend of culture and old-fashioned muscle car, Chrysler’s latest hot 300 SRT8 comes to market with big ticks for standard equipment and value for money—particularly when considered on a dollar per kilowatt basis.

SRT8’s new, 6.4-litre naturally-aspirated HEMI V8 laughs in the face of those downsizing and using forced induction to provide more socially acceptable power units. It produces 347kW at 6100rpm and 631Nm at a high 4150rpm and is up 0.3-litres, 30kW and 62Nm on its predecessor.

It’s not all one-sided though, for Chrysler claim the latest HEMI drinks (rather than sips) 13.0L/100km of 98 octane combined—an 8.45 per cent saving. The efficiency gain is thanks largely to an enhanced version of the previous multiple-displacement system. Now known as ‘Fuel Saver Technology’ this system is capable of deactivating four cylinders over a broad range of driving conditions and works with variable-valve timing to bring economy improvements of between five and 20 per cent. In addition ‘interactive decal fuel shut-off can switch off the flow of fuel when decelerating.

So, the new 300 SRT8 delivers more go for less flow than either its FPV or HSV equivalents. It becomes more attractive still when price is factored in. At $66,000 (MRLP) only the recently re-released HSV ClubSport really competes on price. Going through the respective equipment lists quickly reveals that the ClubSport has its work cut out to deliver the features the Chrysler can promise, and suddenly you need to look up the line to the GTS (and FPV GT E) to offer a comparable ambience to the 300 SRT8’s.

Chrysler really has crammed 300 SRT8 with luxury appointments. Dual-zone climate control with vents to the rear, fully electronic Nappa leather front seats that are both heated and ventilated, heated rear seats and trims made from real carbon fibre are just the beginning. An 8.4-inch touchscreen controls the key functions of the vehicle and is augmented with controls for the dash displays, hands-free phone system (via Bluetooth), 19-speaker 900-watt audio system, and adaptive cruise control on the leather-trimmed SRT steering wheel.
A two-position memory control stores preferred settings for the seats, steering wheel position, radio settings and mirrors—which are of course heated.

Keyless entry illuminates the interior upon entry and easy to use satellite navigation helps get you to your destination; front and rear parking sensors and self-levelling auto bi-xenon lights clear the path and, should the unthinkable happen, multi-stage driver, passenger, side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags will be deployed. In fact, so comprehensive is the equipment list that the entire road test could be filled by simple covering it off.  It reads very well on paper, but what’s it like to drive?

Sitting on its SRT-design 20-inch chrome wheels, 300 SRT8 is a menacing sight. The sides and rear are clean; the body high-waisted, the rear flick of wing off the boot a subtle touch. Up front the mouthy grille tells another story, one that suggests this latest Chrysler muscle car is ready to devour anything in its way.

It’s always nice to climb into a car without fiddling through your pockets for the key, and climb you do—the front row is cavernous, the seat set back from the wheel to allow easy ingress. Press the starter, the seat whirs you forward as the steering wheel lowers and you are set to go. The steering wheel is styled straight out of Chrysler’s 60s muscle car catalogue, though more expensively trimmed and thicker. Two hints of the Chrysler Daimler days remain, with a single column stalk to control both indicators and wipers, and a frustrating foot-operated parking brake.

In the default setting for the two-stage adaptable dampers, the old-school hydraulic steering is light at slow-speeds as you edge away. The throttle pedal is very long in its travel and makes modulation difficult. This is less of an issue with an automatic transmission, of which the SRT8’s five-speed version is mandatory.

The HEMI hardly breaks a sweat during urban driving, wafting 2012kg of 300 SRT8 up to highway speeds with a cultured burble, settling into ‘Eco’ mode as indicated on the dash. It rides well on its 245/45 tyres (though the steering could use more weighting) and sits at around 1900rpm at 100km/h thanks to widely spaced ratios and a tall 3.06:1 final drive ratio. Braking performance is also strong with lovely response to pedal pressure, slotted 360mm front and 350mm rear discs clamped at each corner by four-pistons of Brembo’s finest work, including ABS and EBD.

Seeking out roads where performance becomes more important reveals a couple of weaker areas to the big Chrysler’s repertoire. The standard suspension setting becomes floaty on bumps, the steering following suit and becoming quite vague. Under greater loads even that mighty engine feels the strain of taller gearing and large mass, offering nothing like the level of acceleration expected; indeed an HSV or FPV would easily gain time on 300 SRT8 when pulling out of corners with fewer than 4000rpm on the clock. This comparatively soft low-end response contributes to the SRT8’s ability to put those outputs through 245-section rear tyres with excellent traction.

Stiffen things up by selecting ‘Sport’ mode via the touchscreen, switch it over to the ‘SRT Performance’ screen and you can record all manner of data from acceleration figures to peak g-forces, though this section is best used for its auxiliary gauges that monitor oil temperature and pressure. In this case, sport can be felt through increased weight in the steering, harsher gear changes (it’s best to use the wheel-mounted paddles for optimal control) and a near-immediate attitude adjustment, bumps that were previously ironed over now thumping through to your seat as body control and response takes precedence over ride comfort. You immediately turn-in with more confidence thanks to the increased feed-back, though there is a degree of understeer to work through in this phase. Adjusting the balance with throttle is difficult because of the pedal’s long travel, though once through that initial turn-in phase you can assist the car’s return to neutrality. Again, though, you need to be one gear lower (at least) than you would in a supercharged FPV to get maximum drive out of corners.

Driven in this way, you can forget all the talk about Eco-modes and fuel savings, for the big Chrysler still drinks like it’s in the Seventies with the foot down hard, using around 23.0L/100kms during this phase to arrive at a total test figure of 16.8L/100km.

Back in regular mode for the drive home, the Chrysler once again becomes a lovely, spacious, well-appointed, luxurious touring car. It delivers bombastic performance when required, and though it lacks the final degree of dynamism to match a ClubSport R8 or FPV GT R-SPEC, as an all-round muscular family car for the price it really has moved the game forward for the others to chase.

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