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2011 Chrysler 300 Sticks With Rear-Drive

2011 Chrysler 300 Sticks With Rear-Drive

By Marty Padgett's avatar Marty PadgettMarty Padgett February 14th, 2008

Article ImageEnlarge Photo


New fuel-economy regulations are threatening to kill off a whole generation of new, rear-drive vehicles planned by a handful of manufacturers. But at one company, the mainstay rear-drive sedan is sticking around--mainly because there’s no budget to change its orientation.

TheCarConnection.com has learned that Chrysler’s plans for its large 300/Charger sedans include a major makeover for the 2011 model year. But while Chrysler’s new managers have been dropping hints about the future of the HEMI engine, there’s not much they can do about the rear-drive layout of the big sedans.

A switch to front-wheel drive could improve the fuel economy of the sedans, but reports to TCC say that there’s no money set aside to make the switch to front-wheel drive. The Canadian plant where the 300/Charger and new Challenger are built formerly was outfitted to build front-drive sedans, back when the plant produced the Chrysler “LH” cars in the early 2000s.

The revamp in the works for the early part of the next decade will be fairly substantial. Chrysler is said to have decided that a bold styling statement is critical to the lineup’s sales success--but certain features of the car, like its low roofline, will change to give the cars a more updated look. Enlarge Photo New fuel-economy regulations are threatening to kill off a whole generation of new, rear-drive vehicles planned by a handful of manufacturers. But at one company, the mainstay rear-drive sedan is sticking around--mainly because there’s no budget to change its orientation. TheCarConnection.com has learned that Chrysler’s plans for its large 300/Charger sedans include a major makeover for the 2011 model year. But while Chrysler’s new managers have been dropping hints about the future of the HEMI engine, there’s not much they can do about the rear-drive layout of the big sedans. A switch to front-wheel drive could improve the fuel economy of the sedans, but reports to TCC say that there’s no money set aside to make the switch to front-wheel drive. The Canadian plant where the 300/Charger and new Challenger are built formerly was outfitted to build front-drive sedans, back when the plant produced the Chrysler “LH” cars in the early 2000s. The revamp in the works for the early part of the next decade will be fairly substantial. Chrysler is said to have decided that a bold styling statement is critical to the lineup’s sales success--but certain features of the car, like its low roofline, will change to give the cars a more updated look.

Tags: Industry, Shoppers

Posted in: 2008, Chrysler, Dodge



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Responses (17 total)

  1. 1
  2. 2

  1. By A&W #1, Posted: 2/14/2008

    This may work to thier benefit in the long run.

  2. By JEM #2, Posted: 2/14/2008

    We've been through this before, in the early '80s Detroit abandoned rear-drive and produced two decades of squishy front-drivers that pretty much destroyed their upmarket brands' positions in the marketplace.

    The 300C/Charger isn't a player in the Camry market space, but that segment is exceptionally crowded anyway (and Chrysler's efforts to play there have been patently incompetent anyway.)

    I'd like to think that they'll bring the beltline down to real passenger-car proportions, though I suspect I'll be disappointed.

  3. By observer1 #3, Posted: 2/15/2008

    I think they will have no competitors in the V8 rear drive market and will be successful much in the same way the Mustang was, last man standing. The market will not disappear for the rear drive vehicles. Also they make probably more profit with this platform, enough to keep the line running.

  4. By John #4, Posted: 2/15/2008

    BMW and M-B will remain RWD and make the mileage rules. They'll have the market - and watch out - RWD coming from Korea too.

  5. By Bob Marks #5, Posted: 2/15/2008

    I wish that someone would explain the myth that the end of the vehicle that has the drive wheels impacts the fuel economy.
    I have heard so much B/S that front wheel drive cars are better for gas mileage
    than rear wheel drive cars. ---SHOW ME!
    Engine economy is not impacted by which end of the car it sits in----- other factors do!

  6. By JEM #6, Posted: 2/15/2008

    Front-drive generally allows a smaller, lighter powertrain package and less impact on interior space for a given vehicle size.

    That said, Detroit spent two decades proving that they could engineer FWD vehicles that were no better in fuel economy and worse in interior packaging (Olds Aurora, '96 Taurus, anyone) than a competently-done RWD vehicle, not to mention entire FWD product lines whose only reason for being FWD was that the mfr had no suitable RWD platform (Buick Reatta, Cadillac Allante, the Australian Capri, the Isuzu-based Lotus Elan.)

  7. By RC #7, Posted: 2/18/2008

    Also keep in mind that in addition to weight, the FWD package generally tends to be more overall efficient than RWD. With the engine mounted transversely, there's no losses due to having to rotate the power output by 90 degrees through a differential in order to drive the rear wheels.....no way about it, there's less parasitic loss through the drive train.

  8. By John #8, Posted: 2/19/2008

    Correction:
    BMW and M-B pay the fines rather than comply with fuel economy rules.

  9. By AA #9, Posted: 2/19/2008

    2011 is an awfully long time to wait for a redesign on an model that has been out since 2004.

  10. By  Marty Padgett #10, Posted: 2/19/2008

    There was a teensy restyling for the 2008 model year.

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