Chrysler 300C CRD 2006 Review

Not so much
Seats feel overstuffed
Steering is remote and wheel is huge
Slightly spongy handling

While most Australian new car buyers are moving away from big V6 and V8 sedans, there is one product that is making them buck the trend. Indeed, after years in the automotive wilderness, Chrysler has hit the spot with its 300C and Aussies seemingly can't get enough of the full-sized four-door sedan.

Much of the success has been off the back of the car's distinctive styling and for the first time in a long time, comparable quality to its competitors. However, there’s no doubt that in these times of ever increasing fuel prices there are still more potential 300C buyers who are scared of the car’s thirst.

Enter Chrysler’s turbodiesel alternative – a 300C for those who still want the style, the space and grunt without the weighty fuel consumption.

Sitting between the V6 and V8 petrol models, the new 300C CRD is priced at $57,990 -- $4000 more than the V6 petrol and $2000 less than the Hemi V8. Under the bonnet is a latest generation DaimlerChrysler 160kW/510Nm 3.0-litre compression ignition V6.

Sound familiar – it should be… The 24-valve OHC common rail turbodiesel can also be found powering a range of Mercedes-Benz models including the new R320 CDI as well as the 300C offroad cousins, Jeep’s Commander (click here for more) and Grand Cherokee.

Being a diesel, the engine obviously doesn't match the petrol engines for power with the 3.5-litre V6 producing 183kW and the V8 generating 250kW. On the torque front (which in day-to-day driving is what matters most) things are different, however -- it more than outguns the 3.5's 340Nm and is just shy of the V8's 525Nm.

According to the figures, the diesel's maximum torque is on tap between 1600-2800rpm and on the road there is no denying that the car has a strong bottom end.

Turn the key and from the inside, there are no audible cues as to the engine's fuel type with the diesel being very quiet and refined. Prod the accelerator and the surge off the line is strong and although it is quicker to 100kmh than the petrol V6 (Chrysler figures claim 8.6sec for the CRD vs 9.9 for the 3.5) you do feel the car's weight.

At 1901kg, it is a match for the V8 and about 100kg heavier than the V6 petrol, which results in an ever so slight reluctance to really step off the line. Not exactly sluggish, just weighty but by the time you have hit about 2500rpm, it really gets going.

The drive to the rear through the standard five-speed auto is smooth but on the winding hilly roads of the press launch through the sub-alpine areas in north-eastern Victoria the transmission showed a slight reluctance to kick down to make the most of the engine's relatively narrow peak torque band.

In contrast, the Mercedes R320 (click here for more) that uses the same engine is a lot more responsive courtesy of its seven-speed auto’s extra cogs. That said, judicious use of the 300C's efficient tiptronic function (Chrysler calls it AutoStick ) means that when you want to push on, you can manually hold gears.

And the 300C is a car that you can push -- within limits. The suspension is definitely set up for comfort and apart from the overstuffed seats that are of the sit-on rather than sit-in variety, the car makes for a very comfortable cruising machine.

Point it hard at a corner and it will still maintain a reasonable degree of composure and tends to sit fairly flat and stable on the road, however, the handling has a slight sponginess when you start to reach the limits.

Probably the only drawback is the steering which lacks feel and is carried out via a huge wheel that feels like it could have come off a bus.

In truth the 300C is built for long distance rapid cruising and with the diesel option this can be done affordably. Chrysler claims an official combined fuel consumption figure of 8.2lt/100km and on CarPoint's launch drive we achieved a commendable 9.8lt/100km without being particularly light on the throttle. This compares to the ADR81/01 test figures of 11.1lt/100km for the V6 petrol and 12.1lt/100km for the V8 – stats that in the real world we know would be very hard to achieve.

Diesel is always that much more forgiving for those with a heavy right boot and in the 300C, it matches well with the car's size and purpose. Perhaps too, the 300 CRD is a taste of things to come. With cars like this on the market, Commodore and Falcon can’t afford to ignore diesel for too much longer…