Haven't seen this discussed much here in all the posts worshipping these new cars (which are cool for being rear drive, but drop the ball in styling, IMO). Everyone thinks Chrysler is so cool for throwing the "hEMI" V8 into a midsize/large sedan with rwd in addition to TWO V6 options. In my opinion, the primary reason they are able to do this is:

I believe the Magnum is a "truck." Yeah, I know, we all know it is a frickin car. But because it has a "flat load floor" (kind of like the PT Cruiser and upcoming Chevy HHR), they slip it into the truck category by some loose interpretations of the EPA rules. So, while the 17/25 ratings are pretty bad for a car (especially since it has DoD), they are WAY better than a Hemi Ram's fuel economy ratings! So Chrysler can build all the Magnum R/Ts it wants which actually HELPS their truck CAFE rating. And since the Magnum version of the LX platform can accept the Hemi, it's pretty much a no brainer to offer it in the 300C. I have a feeling that if the Magnum were not a "truck", we wouldn't be seeing the 300C with a Hemi - it would have the base 2.7L and the uplevel 3.5L (which of course was the top engine in the LH series, and the only engine in the 300M). I wonder what percentage of 300s will be 2.7s vs. 3.5s vs. 5.7s... anyone seen the breakdown anywhere? I would imagine that the 3.5 will be the most popular version by quite a bit.

Clever, yes, but it is pretty ridiculous that they can, with a straight face, call the sedan version of a car a car, and the wagon version of the same car a truck. On the other hand, since I think CAFE a convoluted and incorrect way to achieve fuel economy, I guess I should applaud Chrysler for beating the system and turning out a car that has an optional engine with some *****. What really surprises me is that the EPA lets them get away with it...

EDIT: now that I think about it, I wonder if Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Lexus do the same thing with their E- and C-Class, A4 and A6, 3- and 5-Series, and IS300 SportCross wagons vs. their sedan counterparts?

 

God I hope not, I can only dread the day slab sided, blunt faced rolling bricks are the norm on the street.

The CAFE thing is pretty rediculous, especiallt in light of this. Do wagons with fold flat second row seats then qualitfy as a truck? What about the Malibu Maxx?

If it wasn't for the Hemi, would the 300C be prainsed as much as it is.

 

The styling of the Chrysler 300 (just like Cadillac's CTS) is a love it or leave it design which is great. Both cars have Presence with a capital "P"! Who wants a car styled to appeal to everyone? That's not groundbreaking, that's generic. Cavaliers are generic.

The thing about the 300 is that it's priced well below what people expect for what it has, how well it seems to be made, and how much it's looks dominate any cars around it. Face it, with the Impala and 300 running about the same price, the 300 is by far a better deal. With the 300C priced lower than the Bonneville, it's going to be nothing short of a miracle Pontiac sells any.

As for the definition of "Truck", I say more power to Chrysler. While GM is producing comparatively weak 6.0 Silverado "SS" trucks, because of all the PT Cruisers Chrysler sold, they can sell that beast of a truck, the Viper powered SRT-10, and have wide availability on the other V10s they sell. Ford has the same position selling the Escape and the upcoming Freestyle (both cars under the skin). That means high powered Lightnings and V10 cammers.

Meanwhile, the Hemi in the LX is as much a truck engine as the new LS2 is. The LX Hemi has differences from the truck version as the 6.0 engine will. The same can be said about the 4.6 cammer in both the current Mustang GT and the F150. There are no real "truck only" small block V8s anymore. It's all the same engine with changes for heavier duty & high torque purposes.

 

The beancounters. Oh wait...that's who obviously runs GM. The long run will really determine the success of the cars.

I give Chrysler tons o' credit for being original and daring. Unlike Ford and a few certain cars which I will not name....:blah:

 

Why so defensive? Yes, the styling is bold. I said "IMO" when I dissed the styling.

As for the 300 vs. the Impala, well, the Impala came out in, what, 1999? So yeah, the 300 should be a bit ahead of it. But I have a feeling that the volume 3.5L version won't be much faster than the 3.8L Impala (IIRC, the 3.5L intrepids and 300Ms weren't much quicker than the N/A versions of the 3.8). And the supercharged 3.8 in the SS will handily cream the 3.5, for probably similar or less in actual out the door prices.

I sat in the 300 at the NAIAS, though I haven't driven it. I thought the interior was pretty nice, but it didn't blow me away. It is nicer looking than the Impala interior. However, I've seen a heavily camo-ed '06 Impala (finally) at the grounds, and the interior looks very nice. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Unfortunately, as we know, it is still FWD, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing in the family sedan segment right now - but the tide may be shifting toward rwd... I don't think you'll see a rwd Camry or Accord anytime soon, but Chevy has the Malibu to go after them, so why not make the Impala rwd?... Unless the Caprice returns... I won't go into the Bonnie much (also toward the end of its life cycle). I do think it is a prettier car (especially the GXP version), and some parts of the interior are nice. The dash is too busy, IMO, but I expect that to be handled well in the next iteration.

Also, keep in mind that Chrysler is sort of at Buick (not quite Caddy anymore) levels, so the Impala isn't really a direct competitor. But price-wise, they are at least in the same ballpark.

About the truck thing, like I said, it is clever. A little ridiculous, but what's nuts is that the EPA allows it. Anyway, you can bet that is one reason why the Chevy HHR is coming! :blah:

Lastly, I'm not sure why you brought up the "truckness" of the motor. I wasn't implying that the engine is a truck engine and should therefore not be in a car. Base engine-wise, there isn't a huge difference between the car and truck small blocks (Gen III or IV). Obviously different displacements, different intake manifolds, different heads, etc. But I'm quite sure the "hemi" engines were developed with car and truck use in mind, just as the Gen IIIs and Gen IVs were.

 

Can't give you a source, but these are the figures I've heard for 300:

Hemi : 40%

3.5 : 40-50%

2.7 : 10-20%