The « Big Three » American automakers don’t make many cars anymore that look like a child’s drawing of a car: Boxy sedans with gasoline fumes coming out of the tailpipe. And after this coming model year there’ll be at least one fewer, because the 2023 Chrysler 300 will be the model’s swan song.
The announcement, which came on Tuesday, came after the January announcement of Chrysler’s plan to go exclusively electric by 2028. According to its press release at the time, the Chrysler EV plan is part of parent company Stellantis’ turn toward « transformative, sustainable mobility technology that will make the world cleaner, safer and more seamlessly connected. »
The last Chrysler 300 model year will include a limited version called the 300C, with a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine. Only 2,000 of these beast will be sold in the U.S., along with 200 in Canada.
Chris Feuell, CEO of the Chrysler brand, mentioned Chrysler’s EV shift in a press release about the new model. « The Chrysler 300 changed the automotive world in so many ways, and we will carry that spirit of ingenuity forward as we transform Chrysler with a fully electrified future and breakthrough customer experiences. »
There’s been no accompanying announcement of any EV called the 300, nor any sort of of proposed successor from Chrysler itself, but according to the Australian automotive publication Drive, a replacement 300 is already in the works. That story, however, cites “insider information” as its sole source, so take it with a grain of salt.
Presently, the January announcement of Chrysler’s concept EV known as the Airflow has been the main official statement about the direction of the company’s electric lineup. According to Motor Trend, the official Chrysler street models that will be derived from the Airflow concept, to be released between 2025 and 2028, will have a 118-kWh battery with a 400-mile range, upgradable to 500 miles. But the Airflow depicted in publicity photos is a sleek crossover SUV rather than a sedan, meaning it’s not a clear one-to-one replacement for the 300.
In any case, Chrysler appears to be kicking off a bold new era by giving one last hurrah to a car that hasn’t really changed since before the debut of the iPhone. The 2023 Chrysler 300 will look almost identical to the original 2005 model. The overall style of the body panels and lights is not noticeably different, though there is a distinctive new mesh grill.
That’s fitting, because according to a statement from Feuell in the press release, Chrysler is « celebrating the Chrysler 300 and its iconic legacy. »
