The New Chrysler 300 Stellantis Should Have Built First.

The new Chrysler most Americans want the most is not a small Fiat-based model like the upcoming Arrow. It is a new Chrysler 300 sedan.

The 300 sedan is remembered fondly by many, including previous owners who would actually buy a new one. The last generation was produced for 13 years and still looked good by the end of its run. Of course, after all that time, it was discontinued due to slow sales. The numbers had become pretty bad indeed, with just 5,300 sold in its final year. That was a huge drop from the previous year, when over 13,000 were sold. That generation saw its peak in 2012, with more than 70,000 units sold.

And yet, we got a brand-new Dodge Charger. But a new 300 never happened. Probably because Chrysler was, at one point during the Marchionne era, essentially scheduled for extinction. Now Chrysler is back, but still without the 300. What we will be getting instead are a pair of compact crossovers called the Arrow and Arrow Cross, as well as a larger SUV called the Airflow.

Of course, SUVs are an expected move, but a new 300 wouldn’t be that hard to develop. The STLA Large platform used by the new Dodge Charger is already here and ready to go.

A large, more upscale Chrysler sedan would really put the brand back on the map, especially at a time when sedans are slowly making a bit of a comeback. It wouldn’t have to cost an arm and a leg either. The 2023 model started at around $35,000. That was only three years ago, and now that’s almost the price of a Honda Civic Touring.

Even at $40,000 to start—or a bit more—a new 300 would cost about the same as a Toyota Crown, or not much more than a loaded Honda Accord Hybrid. A new “affordable” Chrysler 300 would have been a much better model to launch as part of Chrysler’s rebirth.

Something modern, upscale, and just a little retro.

GM is reportedly preparing not one, but three brand-new rear-wheel-drive sedans for Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet.

Chrysler could have easily been there first…