Finally a competitor for the Mercedes CLS?

Established in 2004, Chrysler 300 burst onto the scene alongside popular models like the Dodge Magnum and Charger. The newly designed LX will have to incorporate more models and will need to create new trends to become a staple in Chrysler's lineup. Chrysler may have a competitor for the Mercedes CLS with its newly designed 2010 offering of their 300.

Based on our run-through of the newest Dodge Ram which demonstrates Chrysler's renewed interest in interior quality, the new 300 will most likely use similarly improved materials. Sticking with the clean theme of the exterior, the new cabin appears simple and refined. The instrument panel houses two large circular gauges similar to those in the Ram while a large display operating Chrysler's UConnect infotainment system tops the center console. The climate controls reside below the screen.

Design by Magna Steyr

For the 2010 model year Chrysler is working with Magna Steyr, who is the combination of Magna International and Austria's Steyr-Daimler-Puch. With this cutting edge design team they hope to bring a retractable top sedan to market successfully and affordably.

Becoming the first automaker to bring such a sedan into this market is definitely one of Chrysler's short term goals. If Chrysler is able to pull this off they will certainly add more prestige and keep themselves at the forefront of cutting edge design. A complex folding steel roof covering four doors in a large sedan seems difficult, but Magna Steyr, who took over for Chrysler rejected ASC, is one of the biggest suppliers in the business.

Basing its update to the LX system on the previously made 1998 updated LH, Chrysler is making evolutionary strides. The basic structure may be same, but refreshments on the current model will be made with many improvements. Next Generation 300 should feature a more refined and mature outward appearance and a classier and smoother interior. Although the design has yet to be finalized, the new 300 is shaping up to be quite an impressive vehicle.

Iconic Style Reinvented

Chrysler faced the difficult challenge of reinventing an icon when it went to the drawing board for the next 300. The new 300 possesses a shape simi

lar to that of its predecessor, but looks more elegant. Up front, Chrysler moves to a new corporate grille, first previewed on the Imperial concept and most recently, the 200C EV concept shown at the 2009 Detroit auto show. The thin horizontal chrome bars are sleeker than the egg crate worn by the current car, and they give the new 300 less of a boxy, road-barge look. Headlight clusters are squared and smoothed, while the front bumper is much more integrated, tightening up the chin. 

The 300 will again feature fender flares, but the lower part of the arch is much less prominent. The upper body crease creates a gently arching shoulder in place of the straight and sharp line of the current model and the new 300 also loses the side molding, giving the upper crease more definition. Expect visibility to be improved though slimmer A-pillars, more glass, and a much smaller C-pillar created through the use of a small A-frame window at the rear. 

Although there is no view of the rear, expect to see a significant change from the current car. We anticipate the rear will mimic the clean front styling of the car, better integrating the exhaust tips in the lower valance. LED taillights are nearly a certainty.

Luxury and a Hemi?

Hemi fans can relax, as the V-8 featuring cylinder deactivation will carry over from the existing model, and it should boast increases in both power and fuel economy. Chrysler says that the new 300 will also be available with an all-new 'fuel-efficient' six-cylinder engine likely the Phoenix line the company has been promising which we think will produce at least 260 hp. New safety features will include rear cross-path and blind-spot monitoring systems. Most, if not all, of these features will likely carry over to a similarly redesigned 2010 Dodge Charger. Read a history of the Chrysler 300 for a look back on past models.

The newly designed Chrysler 300 appears to be shaping up nicely. With a folding steel roof it truly adds the best of both worlds. Chrysler appears to have a successful formula with a mix of style, class, and a bit of power (with the added Hemi engine). This is definitely not a car to miss in 2010 for the consumer looking for something to rival the current leader Mercedes CLS.  For another review on the 300 read here.