Many cars have died in the past year, and a not-insignificant number of them have been Stellantis products — like the Dodge Journey and Grand Caravan, as well as the Fiat 500L and 124. We keep waiting for the Chrysler 300 to join that list, not because we want it to, but because it’s impressive that it’s survived as long as it has. Thankfully, the 300 will be with us for at least one more trip around the sun.
Don’t expect significant changes for the 300 as it trundles into 2022, though. One of the highlights for the forthcoming model year is a new cabin filtration system that purifies 95 percent of air particulates, reducing dust, allergens, and all sorts of other nastiness you’d rather not breathe in. When the marquee addition is better air filtration, farewell can’t be too distant.
More substantial changes to the range mostly involve options disappearing or the ones that remain being tacked onto certain trim levels as standard equipment. The black-trimmed Sport Appearance Group will now be added to all Touring L cars — it used to command an extra $995. And the upper-end 300S gets the not-vaguely-named-at-all Popular Equipment Group, which includes a 506-watt amplifier and Alpine premium audio standard as well. That one used to cost $3,495. Unfortunately, the Uconnect 4C infotainment system in the 300 won’t be upgraded to the newer Google-based Uconnect 5 software present in the Pacifica and other Stellantis products.
As for what’s gone, you can say goodbye to the least-boring exterior and interior colors the 300 previously came in. On the outside, Amethyst and Canyon Sunset are gone; on the inside, Radar Red is no more. That leaves just Black and Black with Linen for the cabin, according to MoparInsiders. How bold.
As the second-generation 300 enters its 11th model year, it’s difficult to resist poking fun at the big bruiser’s age. But I’m legitimately happy it’s still with us. The 300 doesn’t feel quite as old as it actually is, it still looks pretty dang nice and — at $42,490 for last year’s 300S V8 — it remains a very reasonably-priced path to rear-wheel drive and eight cylinders for a modern sedan.
Sales of the 300 have pretty much only decreased year-on-year through the last decade, according to GoodCarBadCar. The current generation peaked in 2012 with 78,417 vehicles sold; last year, just 16,473 new 300s left Chrysler lots. The Charger and even the Challenger’s numbers are considerably healthier, which is likely the only reason the 300 continues to live on. Let’s cherish it while we can.