To the west of the Pacific Ocean, on a large continent known as North America, three gods have always fought for supremacy and power since time immemorial.  From the first time an automobile rolled off the moving assembly line up to this very day Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have been locked in battle to woe the car enthusiast—American or otherwise.  And although their battle has been predominantly on their shores, the world has witnessed a rebirth of sorts.  In fact, the Philippines is no stranger to the first two brands mentioned, both of which have made successful comebacks after a long absence.  And now, it’s just due time for the third giant to reawaken.

CATS Motors, Inc., a company synonymous with Mercedes-Benz in the Philippines has moved to complete its DaimlerChrysler portfolio by becoming the official distributor of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles.  With a new showroom along EDSA (next to Mercedes-Benz) and now backed up by a three-year warranty (the previous distributor only provided a year’s worth), the American brand is surely ready for a resurgence.  Showroom and warranty aside though, the main selling point still has to be the line-up; and to that end, CATS Motors has delivered with three new vehicles—all distinctively American, all a cut above the rest: the Chrysler 300C, Town & Country and Dodge Durango.

Chrysler 300C

The Chrysler 300C is a car that needs little introduction.  It’s one of the most successful American cars of this time winning one coveted award after another including Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of the Year, Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year and North America’s Car of the Year.  The 300C is proof that Chrysler can still make one of the best luxury automobiles in the world—certainly up to par with anything the Europeans can dish out.  Inside and out, it’s stunning with strikingly good looks and beautiful fit and finish.  The long hood, short deck and dramatically square profile is muscular, while the standard double-spoke five-star cast alloy wheels with 225/60 R 18 Pirelli rubber give it a huge visual kick that pales to any car on the road.  Powerful high-intensity discharge headlamps (HID) give a distinctive blue glow to the 300C’s front facia at night.

Inside, the 300C is equally beautiful and well-equipped.  It gets everything as standard equipment: wood grain paneling, leather heated seats, moon roof, electronically adjustable front seats with memory, a 6-disc in-dash CD changer with Boston Acoustics 8-speaker system, dual zone climate control, an analogue clock and back-up sensors.  The 300C also features class-leading interior space with a 60/40 split-fold rear bench with center arm rest and cup holder for better versatility. 

While the 300C is glorious, the real surprise is its advanced engine and drive train package.  For the first time since the 1950’s, Chrysler’s new legendary “letter series” car returns back to rear-wheel drive.  This has enabled the engineers to boost the 300C’s performance with its standard 3.5-liter 24-valve V6.  This 250 horsepower, 340Nm of torque power plant is mated to a four-speed automatic with cruise control.  Soon to be available is the legendary HEMI V8.  Its 5.7-liter of displacement, pumps out 100 horsepower and 190Nm of torque more than its V6 brother.  It also features the industry’s first Multi-Displacement System (MDS).  This enables the HEMI to shut down half its cylinders to improve fuel efficiency.  The V8 also benefits from an additional forward gear.  Both the V6 and HEMI V8 get Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment. 

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