A Chrysler for the hip family

It’s 2015 and it’s possible to be hip driving a Chrysler sedan that will turn heads at places other than your neighborhood’s retirement home.

I had the opportunity to drive the Chrysler 300S around a pothole wonderland Chicago suburb, and I walked away with shattered expectations — in a good way. To most of us, the Chrysler 300 is the car our grandparents purchased if they couldn’t quite join the Cadillac club, mainly because it offers luxury, comfort and good looks.

Thankfully, Chrysler listened, and they’ve built a non granddaddy 300 variant!

 In Phantom Black, it’s a sinister looking car, but in Redline Red it’s utterly seductive.

 All-hail the new Chryslers 300S. Its sleek appearance, sexy curves, and 300-horses on tap morphed me into Jason Statham from the Transporter movie the moment I stepped into the driver’s seat. But no worries, I’m back to my normal non-muscular and non-British accent self. Sorry, honey.

Some of the performance features that stand out on the “S” are the 20-inch hyper black wheels, the Redline pearl paint, blacked out exterior, and how could I forget about the massive front grille which looks like it could eat puppies for lunch.

 Cool fact you can use to impress someone: The grille on the 2015 Chrysler 300 is 32% larger than on previous models.

 The standard and silky-smooth eight-speed transmission is controlled by an intuitive rotary dial in place of a traditional shifter. Turn the dial to the “S” position to engage sport mode, and you’’ll notice an immediate change in the 300’s behavior. The throttle response quickens, the steering load gets heavier and sharper, and you’ll feast on higher shift points which you can manage via flappy paddle shifters which are even painted silver! (It’s the small details that matter)

Of course there are lots of other important standard features in the cabin, such as the 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen which unifies radio, xm and Bluetooth functions, a hip 552-watt BeatsAudio premium sound system, and heated leather seats to keep your behind toasty on a frigid morning.

The interior has an airy and open feel, although panoramic sunroofs tend to promote such appearance, and the second row is a perfect place for the kids along with anyone who isn’t front row worthy. The LATCH car seat anchors are clearly labeled and easy to reach, and with 56.1-inches of hip room, fitting two car seats plus another human, dog, or oversized diaper bag should be a breeze.

More and more consumers beg for a car that’s exciting, a car that’s visually and emotionally engaging, and Chrysler has listened and delivered.

Be hip, on a Chrysler 300S.

 

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