Chrysler 300 Model History

Replacing the Concorde and the 300M sedan, the 2005 model year brought forth a brand-new flagship four-door vehicle for Chrysler. Simply called the Chrysler 300, the 2005 model year 300 sedans construction borrowed heavily from the Mercedes-Benz parts bin sharing many components with the E-Class.

Offered with two V-6 engine choices (a 190-horsepower 2.7-liter and 250-horsepower 3.5-liter powerplant), the most enticing powerplant included on the 2005 Chrysler 300 was an eight-cylinder units. The first such engine found on a Chrysler sedan since the 1989 Fifth Avenue, the V-8 powerplant included on the 300C was a 5.7-liter HEMI generating 340 horsepower. A tribute to the 300 letter cars of the 1950s, familiar HEMI badging appeared with the 5.7-liter V-8 engine. Available as a special high-performance model fitted with a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI engine, the Chrysler 300C SRT-8 sported unique front and rear body pieces, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels mounted to Goodyear F1 tires.

Standard equipped as a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the Chrysler 300 could also be equipped with an all-wheel drive system for optimized traction. Making the Chrysler 300 more appropriate as a vehicle chauffeuring VIPs, the W.P. Chrysler Executive Series Package was made available for 2007 that stretched the wheelbase by six inches.

Other options made available for the first time on the Chrysler 300 in 2007 included adaptive cruise control, SmartBeam intelligent headlights and rear heated seating. In 2011, the 300 sedan underwent a major revision. LED headlamps became standard on the 2011 Chrysler 300 while a touchscreen-operated Uconnect Touch 8.4 infotainment system was also included in the cabin of the base level sedan. A 292-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 powerplant was added in 2011 as a new base engine for the Chrysler 300. Along with a 363-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI, the 300 SRT-8 returned in 2012 with an engine pumping out 465 horsepower.