L.A. Auto Show: Chrysler 300 gets more power, luxury

Trumpeting the “return of the big, bold American sedan,” Chrysler is bringing an updated 300 to the Los Angeles Auto Show.

New features for the luxury muscle car include exterior touches like a new grille, new LED lighting and new wheels, and interior elements that include a 7-inch information display. A larger 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen is available as an upgrade, with navigations packages included in the some models.

An eight-speed automatic enables what Chrysler calls “V-8 performance with segment-leading 31 mpg highway fuel efficiency.”

Chrysler is offering the 300 in four models – the 300 Limited, 300S, 300C and 300C Platinum, which replaces the John Varvatos Luxury Edition models from last year.

The standard engine is a 3.6-liter V-6, available on all four models, producing 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The V-6 gets fuel economy of 19 city and 31 highway on the RWD models and 18 city and 27 highway in all-wheel-drive versions.

But the 300, except for the Limited, also comes with a 5.7 liter HEMI V8, likely to generate the most sales. The engine includes fuel-saving technology that allows it to act like a four-cylinder engine when less power is needed, available in the 300S, 300C and 300 Platinum.

It makes 363 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque, capable of zero-to-60 mph in less than six seconds, according to Chrysler.

Pricing starts at $32,390 on the Limited, and rises to $35,880 on the 300S and $38,880 on the 300C and $43,380 on the newly introduced 300C Platinum.

All four models come standard with rear-wheel drive and offer all-wheel drive.

The automaker is also offering an array of interior design choices, each named after a city that inspired its look. “La Jolla, California,” for example, is a gentle wash of indigo and linen that characterizes the sea and sand of the oceanfront community, while “Detroit, Michigan” is a black-and-blue color palette that epitomizes the bruised, “never say die” attitude of that city.