By: Dave Abrahams
Los Angeles, California - Breaking cover on the eve of the LA motor show, this is the 2015 Chrysler 300C sedan, which seems to have picked up some fresh in-your-face mojo from its attitudinous bigger cousins, the Dodge Charger and Challenger.
And a lot of that is in its face, starting with a bigger grille, sharper headlight light clusters and a low, narrow but almost full-width lower air intake with wide-spaced dual foglights.
Engine choices - for now - are the familiar 3.6-litre V6 Pentastar and 5.7-litre Hemi V8, each now with an eight-speed auto transmission - with a rotary selector a la Jaguar in place of the former electronic gearshift lever, which has earned a reputation for not doing what it's told.
The V6 is rated at 218kW and 352Nm in the base and Platinum luxury variants, while the paddle-shift 300S Sport variant is tuned for 224kW and 357Nm.
NO SRT FOR NORTH AMERICA
The Hemi is good for 271kW and a walloping 533Nm, but there is no mention of an SRT version for North America, although our source at Chrysler SA says he expects that Europe (and South Africa) will get an SRT variant, even though the timeline for SA release hasn't been finalised yet.
Unsprung weight is reduced by ditching forged steel axles for cast aluminium, and electric power steering replaces the traditional hydraulic set-up, with an upgraded Sport mode that tightens up the steering as well as the throttle response and transmission shift points, backed up by an expanded suite of electronic driver aids.
Inside, there's a new 180mm colour display in the instrument cluster, as well as a 210mm touchscreen for the Uconnect infotainment system, now with 'on demand' Wi-Fi.
Finally, there's a new Platinum luxury derivative with premium leather upholstery on the dashboard, hand-sanded wood and satin-chrome exterior trim.