Let’s not mince words here: Chrysler isn’t doing well these days.  With a sales drop of fifty percent from 2007, critics were quick to point to the American company’s overreliance in sport utility vehicles and light-duty trucks at a time when gasoline prices were spiking to record prices.  And that was before the global financial crisis set in.  Despite all of their troubles, time spent behind the wheel of the Chrysler 300C makes you forget all of it.  It reminds you not of Chrysler’s financial misfortunes, but that it’s a maker of fine automobiles.  Since its Philippine launch in 2005, the 300C is still every bit the attention grabbing pimpmobile that’s soon become the default choice of politicians and brides alike.  A recent facelift as well as the availability of a new engine should continue to make things pretty fresh.

A walk around the revised 300C makes you wonder what has changed.  The so-called facelift is almost invisible that all but owners of the pre-facelifted model would recognize.  Those who keep tabs of every car’s vital statistics would realize that the new 300C has grown in length: 4,999-mm to 5,015-mm.  Credit this increase to re-shaped front and rear bumpers.  At the front end, the new bumper with more holes gives visual aggressiveness to the already not-so meek 300C.  Much more noticeable changes have been done at the back such as the re-shaped trunk lid with integrated spoiler and third brake light, the new rear combination lamp cluster as well as the rear bumper which have been given a more tapered profile.

The 300C’s hotrod appearance surely gives it plenty of stares, but it’s a mixed bag when it comes to driving in everyday traffic.  The straight and long hood give excellent front visibility, making this car surprisingly easy to maneuver around tight Manila roads despite its 1,881-mm overall width (the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is actually narrower!).  However, the small greenhouse and miniscule rear view mirrors hamper visibility elsewhere, a pain when you have to parallel park this behemoth.

Much more relevant to the almost invisible facelift is the availability of a new engine inside the 300C: a much more modest 190-horsepower 2.7-liter V6.  Fortunately for the Philippine market, the reduction in engine displacement doesn’t translate to a loss of appearance and features.  With the exception of a chrome tail pipe finisher, everything that the 3.5-liter V6 version has outside, the 2.7-liter also has.  This means the W-rated 225/60 R 18 tires and the HID headlamp package are also standard.

Why fix if it ain't broke: the 300C has undergone an almost invisible facelift for this year. One of the more noticeable changes though is the migration of the third brake lamp onto the rear deck.

A black-on-black interior is much more classy than the previous two-tone black/gray interior. The Seton leather is just lovely.