Chrysler 300C Launching in China Next Month
Despite an unpopular initial offering, the Chrysler 300C will return to China late next month for a second stab at the country’s burgeoning luxury market.
When it initially launched, the brand’s pseudo luxury sedan quickly lost out to the German cars it was meant to compete against, but can the refreshed version of the car drum up new demand?
The answer to that question will depend on a couple factors. First, rear legroom. Consumers in that part of the world have an affinity for being chauffeured about town, and the previous generation didn’t have enough rear space to please.
Second: luxurious power. Chrysler discontinued Chinese sales in 2009, right around the time it was rescued by Fiat — an unpopular vehicle selection and struggling finance made the choice to pull out pretty simple. Now, with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine and a refreshed look, the 300C is a decidedly different experience than it was when last it sold in China.
With its refreshed style and improved powertrain, sales haven’t been hard to come by in the U.S., but that’s probably also due to a degree of patriotism that the Chinese won’t share.
Slated to sell for a more upmarket 500,000 RMB (the previous attempt ran about 300,000) the renewed Chrysler sedan could offer customers an alternative to the increasingly common BMWs and Audis. With the relaunch scheduled for sometime around June 25, there are only a few short weeks until the Chrysler-Fiat formula will be tested in Beijing and around the country.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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