Chrysler updates all-wheel-drive system to yield one more MPG

Since the current LX platform Chrysler 300 along with the Dodge Magnum and the later Charger debuted in 2004, it has had an optional all wheel drive system. Much of the platform hardware of the LX was derived from the previous generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class including that all wheel drive hardware. The AWD system was designed to continuously drive all four wheels all the time and it can be a boon to those who live northern climes.

However it comes at a price that includes reduced fuel economy. Driving the front axle all the time costs about 1 mpg compared to the rear wheel drive version. For the 2009 model year, a revised system will now disengage the front axle until excessive slip at the rear axle triggers drive torque to sent to the front. As a result, AWD models will now get the same fuel efficiency rating as the RWD variants.

New 2008 Chrysler 300C CRD Car

Saint-Genis, France - It's always nice to get a gift from your rich German uncle.

Mercedes-Benz has handed off a 215-hp, turbocharged and intercooled, 3.0-liter diesel V-6 to the Chrysler Group, which has stuffed it under the hood of the 300 sedan. With 376 lb-ft of torque, just 11 lb-ft less than the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, this engine propels the 300 to62 mph in 7.6 seconds, only 1.2 seconds slower than the Hemi. And it returns an average of 29 mpg when cruising at 80 mph. Unfortunately, the 300C CRD (common-rail diesel) isn't offered in America.Since few drivers employ maximum-acceleration takeoffs in daily driving, you really don't notice the difference between the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel and the 5.7-liter Hemi most of the time. The diesel's abundant torque, available from idle, means that the car always feels lively. The 300C CRD's top speed is 141 mph, but we stayed at legal speeds except for a few uphill autoroute stretches, where the big sedan easily rocketed to 120 mph before we backed off. Fuel consumption was 27 mpg--city, highway, and uphill sprints combined--whereas we averaged only 19 mpg during our year with a Four Seasons Hemi-powered 300C. Not surprisingly, European-market sales of the 300 have risen sharply since the diesel became available. The CRD is markedly faster and more agreeable to drive than 300s with the anemic, unrefined 2.7- and 3.5-liter gasoline V-6s (the thirsty Hemi simply is not a reasonable choice for Europeans), and it is by far the cheapest to run in the range. It is also truly satisfying to drive. Chrysler now offers the Mercedes diesel in the U.S.-market Jeep Grand Cherokee, but Americans should also be offered the 300C CRD. When low-sulphur diesel fuel and the latest wave of emissions controls arrive in the States, people will be seriously surprised by just how good diesels have become while they weren't looking.

CAFE Standards to Improve 300C Aerodynamics

It looks like congress is going to raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 35 mpg. In response auto makers are trying to come up with ways to attain it. At Edmunds.com it's reported that.

At Chrysler, insiders say the company is studying how best to redesign the big Chrysler 300 sedan, with one proposal said to involve a move away from the current upright, boxy silhouette to a sleeker, more aerodynamic profile in order to enhance fuel economy.

I think that changing the shape of the 300C for "aerodynamic" reasons of fuel economy is at the most,shall I say dubious. I mean unless one is traveling at high speeds, are the aerodymamics involved that subtle ? A better way to improve fuel economy would be for people to not floor the gas petal.

Things to come?

2007 Chrysler 300 - 10Best Car

A bully in black tie. January 2007

Conventional wisdom holds that the Chrysler 300 owes its success to its boisterous, larger-than-life styling, and a lot of owners will confess to being drawn to the big sedan’s standout sheetmetal. But the 300 also offers fine steering and an excellent blend of ride and handling, as you’d expect from a vehicle that employs major suspension components from the Mercedes E-class sedan of the mid-’90s. Under its hood buyers can choose from mild and wild Hemi V-8s, with up to 425 horses coupled to a five-speed automatic with manual control. Also available are a pair of smooth V-6s for delivering a more sedate blend of mileage and performance. The 300 has a huge back seat (even huger in the new-for-’07 long-wheelbase versions), a capacious trunk, and fold-down rear seats to provide cargo utility. The cabin is structurally rigid, free of road-induced vibrations, and impressively quiet. Finally, this goodness comes at prices that make the 300 a standout in today’s crowded automotive landscape. Whether you judge a car by its looks, speed, practicality, quality, or value, the 300 remains the best big mainstream sedan on the market. VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan BASE PRICE: $24,555–$41,095 ENGINES: DOHC 24-valve 2.7-liter V-6, 190 hp, 190 lb-ft; SOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 250 hp, 250 lb-ft; pushrod 16-valve 5.7-liter V-8, 340 hp, 390 lb-ft; pushrod 16-valve 6.1-liter V-8, 425 hp, 420 lb-ft TRANSMISSIONS: 4-speed auto, 5-speed auto with manumatic shifting DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 120.0–126.0 in Length: 196.8–202.8 in Width: 74.1 in Height: 57.9–58.4 in Curb weight: 3750–4300 lb FUEL ECONOMY: EPA city driving: 14–21 mpg