It's hardly a "sensible" car, though, the 300C, especially with the HEMI engine. Clever cylinder shutdown aside, this is a good ol' school large-displacement V8 in proper hot rod tradition - apart from its sanitised sound, toned down to meet European noise legislation. Shame. It delivers the performance as promised, however: storming away from a standstill, it is absolutely effortless and unfussed, with loads of torque and mid-range pull, helped by a reasonably responsive five-speed automatic 'box with sequential-shift mode. This transmission is not as state-of-the-art as the latest six- and seven-speed gearboxes Mercedes is fitting, but it works well with this engine and seems well in character.
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| Effortless on the road |
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Quick as it is, the 300C is no cheap answer to the E55 AMG, however. Its chassis is far more comfort-biased, and although its handling is a lot tidier than the front-drive Chryslers and its body roll, pitch and wallow well-contained, it's not quite as agile and sharp as even mainstream E-Classes, and somehow gives the impression that it's considerably larger than those models. Better to enjoy its cruising capabilities; generally quiet and refined, the 300C rides well and soaks up lumps and ruts with ease.
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| Sales success may hinge on badge perception |
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The 300C is also not a cheap answer to the E-Class, full stop. Cheap, yes - prices haven't been confirmed for the UK yet, but expect the 5.7 HEMI topping the range to come in under the magic £30K mark at £29,995, with the lesser engines in the early-to-mid £20Ks. That's good value for a car so large and powerful - but it's no E-Class rival. Chrysler is ambitiously claiming it as a challenger to the Audi A6, the BMW 5-Series and the Volvo S80, but realistically, it's more likely to be fighting it out with the Peugeot 607, Alfa 166, Toyota Camry and, dare, we say it, the Korean contenders in this sector, not only due to perception of the Chrysler badge, but because its cabin quality just isn't up to scratch to take on the Germans and Swedes.
