Big, bold and certainly different, the Chrysler 300C Touring is a massive car. If you want to stand out from the crowd get one, it will be rarer than a Hummer!
In terms of square footage, the European built Yank-Tank is great value for money. The saloon alone is half the price of a big S Class Merc and just as imposing. Inside the car is larger than a BMW 7 series, neither of which come in estate form.
The exterior of the Touring turns heads but it cannot match the saloon's looks, with the additional metal in the roof, side panels and tailgate. This car should come with diplomatic 'CD' number plates as standard as the Touring in little old Ireland is OTT!
The interior is just like the saloon. There is a lot of plastic and Mercedes switchgear. This is clearly where Chrysler has saved the big money. The 300C simply doesn't compare with the more expensive machines in the luxury class, but hey what do you expect for the money?
The boot is the big news, it features a cargo organiser and cover. The load area is 25% larger than the saloon and flush with the top of the bumper. The surprisingly shallow 630 litre boot features some hidden cubbies and side netted storage but otherwise it is a typical estate boot.
The removable boot floor reveals a four-inch deep storage area. The tailgate is cleverly hinged, so despite its size you don't need to step get out of the way when opening it. With the seats down there is up to 1602 litres of cargo space.
At over 5m long, the Touring always feels bulky and on twisty rural roads the progress made can be interesting. You 'guide' the 300C more so than precisely position it on the road.
Car parks these days don't have spaces big enough for the Touring and all I can say is thank goodness for rearward parking radar that's standard fit. It takes a bit of getting used to as it only starts beeping when an object is about a foot away, this is unlike most systems I’ve used.
The arrival of the 3 litre diesel estate brings the 300C range in Ireland to four vehicles. The saloon comes in three guises, namely a 3 litre V6 CRD (€59,500), a meaty 5.7 litre V8 ‘Hemi’ (€74,195) and the latest addition to the saloon range an outrageous 6.1-litre, 425bhp, V8, ‘Hemi’.
The Euro-4 compliant Mercedes CRD engine pushes out 215bhp and 510nm of pulling power so it is no slouch and can shift its near two tonne weight with gusto. The us built automatic 5-speed gearbox does the job without too much fuss, the unit is also used in the Mercedes Benz E Class as is the ESP system.
I'm not sure if an estate car can ever be 'Bling' but with its massive 18 inch alloys and huge in your face attitude the 300C Touring would be top of any Rap artist's estate car wish list, if there is such a thing!
Irish drivers have never been big fans of large estate cars and I expect only a handful of Tourings will find homes, now just many US embassies do we have?
Michael Sheridan
