The original Chrysler was a big, brash automotive attention seeker, that firmly put people into the either love it or hate it camp more than any other vehicle I have driven in recent times.

Its second generation successor retains a number of the better elements of its predecessor, but is a far less proactive car and consequently should have much wider appeal. Factor in higher levels of maturity and refinement and it should appeal to a much wider range of buyers. Because it is visually so different to its rivals in a positive way, the new Chrysler 300 stands a good chance of success in a large car market that is in sharp decline as a growing number more people turn to smaller more economical cars. With petrol heading north of $2.20 per litre who can blame them, plus and there are some darn good smaller engines out there that punch away above their modest size.

One thing that may throw a road block or two in the way of this latest 300 as it attempts to find the path to success, is some the residual negativity around the previous model with its mobster bling mobile looks. Perhaps hindsight this was not the right approach to delivering a car Chrysler so desperately wanted to have the X-factor. While it generated lot of comment both good and bad this was more around its curiosity value, rather than it being a “Game changer”. Once the initial buzz around that car faded it become just another offering, albeit a slightly whacky one, in the six-cylinder car scene. The old 300c styling also dated at a faster rate of knots than most of competitors and it resale values suffered accordingly.

The new Chrysler 300 launches here in a three model format, the 300 Limited, 300C and 300C Luxury. A 3.6L V6 petrol 8-speed auto and a 3.0L Turbo Diesel 5-speed transmission, are the two power trains with the V8 derailed for the time being. It may return further down the track, if you will excuse the pun, in the higher performance SRT sedan. Another on the missing in action list is the station wagon. Despite it imposing looks it was never a hit in the USA, and that always going to severely limit its prospects of making it into second generation form.

All variants are well priced and equipped including the $57,990 entry level 300 Limited priced featured in this road test and another $5000 if you opt for the turbo diesel. Some of the highlights on its exhaustive list of standard features are 18 inch aluminium wheels, power heated mirrors, adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, Bluetooth® capabilities and leather wrapped steering wheel.

The new generation 210kw 3.6 litre V6 suddenly makes the 300 very competitive and it performs with such pace and poise, you can understand why Chrysler sidelined the V8 for our market. This six cylinder motor almost matches it for performance in every day driving situations and easily beats it for fuel economy.

It is also a versatile engine proving its worth in the Dodge Journey people mover plus a variety of models in the Jeep stable. This new six cylinder motor is one of the best Chrysler have produced in years and punts the fairly hefty 300 sedan along at a strong pace that is only a few steps behind the 5.7 litre V8 from the old model. It does things so effortlessly and with a high degree of smoothness that made the test car a deceptively quick and capable open highway cruiser. The eight-speed automatic is two more gears than what you will find in any other six-cylinder sedan in this price bracket. It has super long legged stride enabling this fairly substantial sedan wafts the car along at the legal open road speed limit and does it on just 1700rpm. This is a figure that isn’t going to stress the engine, driver or their wallet when it is time to visit the petrol pump.

The cabin for what is effectively the base model in the 300 range shows all the attributes and qualities of a car striving to get noticed, and sales action in the upper reaches of the medium priced large car market. The passenger compartment more than matches those of more highly specified offerings in the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon stables. As was the case with the previous model, the placement and general organization of the controls and instruments lacks a sense of cohesion and order.

While this latest Chrysler 300 is not a star in this facet of its design it shines on the safety front with features such as front, side and curtain airbags, a sophisticated anti lock braking systems and vehicle stability programme. Another good safety device owners and their insurers alike will love is a reversing camera. On a big car like this with its rather narrow window openings and bulky rear end this piece equipment is more than a “Nice to have” it is a necessity.

Ride comfort is excellent with the new 300 among the most relaxing long distance cruisers I have driven in a while in its price bracket. This positive wrap is due in know small part to the suspensions ability to effectively massage away pot holes and other similar road surface disturbances. For such a slab of a car, the 300 displayed more agility and composure when nudged briskly through the twist and turns than I expected. It is let down by dullard steering and suspension that can be a little casual in responding to sudden changes in the road surface at higher speeds.

What’s the verdict? More American heavy metal from Chrysler, but this time around served with greater sophistication and refinement.