Range-Topping 2012 Chrysler 300 Executive Series Now Known as Luxury Series, Adds V6 Model

Range-Topping 2012 Chrysler 300 Executive Series Now Known as Luxury Series, Adds V6 Model:

Remember the 300C Executive Series Chrysler showed off at last April’s New York auto show? Here’s a recap: It was a range-topping, Hemi-powered 300C loaded to the gunwales with luxury features and tapped to go on sale this past fall. That, of course, didn’t happen, with Chrysler pushing the on-sale date to February. In the meantime, the company decided to switch up the car’s name—from Executive Series to Luxury Series—and extend the list of available powertrains to include the Pentastar V-6 in addition to the Hemi V-8. The Luxury Series still will serve as the flagship of the 300 range, and it adds steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters; otherwise, the Luxury Series is exactly the same as the previously announced Executive model.

That means Italian Poltrona Frau “Foligno” leather covering the instrument panel, cluster brow, center-console side panels and upper front- and rear-door panels. Nappa leather covers the door armrests, bolsters and center console armrest. Buyers can choose to have their sybaritic surroundings rendered in either black or a two-tone “Mochachino” color scheme. The drawing-room feel is rounded out by hand-sanded matte-finish wood trim. A long features list backs up the materials, and includes 12-way power seats, a heated steering wheel, an 8.4-inch Uconnect touch screen with navigation, a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, a power rear-window sunshade, and a set of fancy floor mats.

Outside, everything that’s chrome on lesser 300s comes in “platinum chrome” on the Luxury Series, including the mesh grille, mirror caps, and door handles. Rear-wheel-drive models ride on 20-inch wheels; all-wheel-drive versions get 19s. Pricing for the Luxury 300s is rich, but not particularly excessive. The V-6 Luxury Series starts at $40,145, the V-8 300C Luxury at $42,895. All-wheel drive adds $2350 to either model’s price. To put these prices in perspective, the 2012 300C requires a $38,995 entry fee. The basic 300 and 300C interiors took a big step forward with the car’s latest redesign, and this model looks poised to make another leap. That said, we’ll report how well the Luxury Series delivers on its namesake attribute as soon as we have the chance to paw one in real life.

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