2012 Chrysler 300 On Sale In Australia

Chrysler's all-new 300 sedan has at last hit Australian showrooms, marking the retirement of the seven year-old 300C and the local debut of Chrysler's sleek new branding.

For 2012, the stately Chrysler comes in four models: the 300 Limited, 300C, 300C Luxury and SRT8.

Launching with a trio of petrol and diesel options, the new 300 line-up is headlined by the 6.4 litre V8-powered SRT8 flagship.

As an evolution of the popular first-gen model, the styling of the new 300 maintains its predecessor's American saloon image but with a smoother and more refined style.

Up front, there are new sleekly-styled LED-endowed headlights, while the redesigned Chrysler badge sits in a new shutter-shade grille.

The evolution-over-revolution story remains the same along the new 300's profile. Almost identical to its predecessor, the new car can be picked by the slight arch of the belt line and the smoother curve of the roof.

At the rear, the 2012 300's vertical tail-lights are slimmer than before, with an LED indicator strip running vertically down the centre of each light.

The back-end is rounded out by a subtle lip-spoiler worked into the design of the boot lid.

On the inside, the new 300 represents a leap forward from the spartan interior of the outgoing 300C, offering a more modern and luxurious environment.

As with most offerings in the large luxury segment, there are lashings of leather, along with aluminium and carbon-fibre highlights, and an abundance of wood panelling.

A large 8.4-inch touch-screen dominates the centre stack, offering Chrysler's UConnect media-centre functions and, in all but the entry 300 variant, satellite navigation and a reversing camera display as standard.

MORE: TMR's reviews of the new 300 range

Mechanical Package

Three engines are offered with the rear-wheel-drive 300 range: Chrysler's new 3.6 litre Pentastar V6, a 3.0 litre CRD turbodiesel, and the range-topping 6.4 litre V8 petrol engine.

Entry-level models are powered by the Pentastar petrol engine, producing 210kW at 6350rpm and 340Nm of torque at 4650rpm.

Matched with an eight-speed automatic, Chrysler lists a fuel consumption figure of 9.4 l/100km. The 0-100km/h time is listed at 7.0 seconds.

When driven by the 3.0 litre CRD turbodiesel - supplied by the Fiat and GM-owned VM Motori - the 300 offers 176kW at 4000rpm and 550Nm between 1800 and 2800rpm.

Paired with a five-speed automatic, the diesel V6 lists fuel figures of 7.1 l/100km and a 0-100km/h time of 7.8 seconds.