18 — Centralian Advocate, Tuesday, December 17, 2013 Alice Springs to Adelaide | Adelaide to Alice Springs WEEKLY SERVICE RedStar Car Carriers 8256 1299 for a quote MOTORING Core values where it counts Ewan Kennedy The new Chrysler 300 SRT Cor has fewer features than some of its stable mates but it is excellent value for money. THE reasoning behind the Chrysler 300 SRT Core is as simple as the car itself. The thinking behind it goes back to the core of buyer preferences -value for money in a high-powered machine. This special 300 model has been developed specifically for the Austral- ian market as the guys in the States are well aware of our enthusiasm Down Under. Indeed, the Ameri- cans are now to be offered the Aussie-specced car on their home market. A neat $10,000 has been stripped from the price of the standard 300 SRT, drop- ping it to an affordable $56,000. As it has kept the core values of the car exactly as before, the new model is tagged Chrysler 300 SRT Core. That $56,000 recom- mended price puts the big Chrysler right down with the hot Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores. Tellingly the SRT Core is under the price of the lowest-cost HSV models. Price trimming of the Chrysler SRT Core has been achieved by giving it cloth trim instead of leather; there’s no heating of the rear seats, though the fronts still get warmed (but not cooled); the drink holders are no longer con- nected to the aircondition- ing system so remain at the ambient temperature; and there’s no floor mat or cargo net in the boot. A basic audio system is used, with the number of speakers reduced from 19 to six - meaning you will have to spend more time listening to the exhaust note of the big Chrysler V8. Sounds good to us! Standard, not adaptive, cruise control is used; you miss out on the adaptive suspension damping sys- tem; there isn’t a blind spot monitor (though surely any- one who drives an SRT knows how to set door mir- rors). The rear cross-path detection system is a handy feature but sadly it’s been stripped out. This is what the Chrysler 300C is all about. Though the importer doesn’t like it to be called the Gangsta car, I’ve got some bad news for them - everyone who chatted to us about the new Core product used exactly that term. Chrysler 300 SRT8 Core has 20-inch alloy wheels in a twin-five-spoke design. There are Hemi 6.4L badges in red and chrome on the front guards and a red Core badge on the boot lid. Core is offered in eight paint colours: Gloss Black, Ivory tri-coat pearl, Billet Silver metallic, Jazz Blue pearl, Granite crystal met- allic pearl, Deep Cherry Red crystal pearl, Phantom Black tri-coat pearl, and Bright White. The Cores cabin has black seat trim with white stitch- ing and ‘‘SRT’’ is em- broidered into material. There are piano-black bezels and matte carbon ac- cents on the instrument panel and centre console. All the important power- train parts remain as in the standard Chrysler SRT8. The 6.4-litre Hemi V8 eng- ine produces 465 horse- power (347kW in Australian terms) and a great 631Nm of torque. The active exhaust sys- tem remains as does the excellent launch control sys- tem that really gets the big beast moving with just the right amount of wheelspin. It’s only to be used in the correct locations, of course. The really interesting thing is that the 300C SRT8 Core is lighter than its full- house big brother so pre- sumably has better per- formance in a straight line. You would need timing gear to test this, and it’s likely to only show hundredths-of-a- second improvements. Still, hundredths are important in high-performance cars . . . Throttle response is all- but instantaneous and the automatic reacts quickly to the drivers demands. This American muscle machine sounds great, though a little more volume would be appreciated at low to moderate throttle open- ings. It’s a bit sad when AMG Mercs and Bentley Continental Speeds provide bigger sounds than a Chrysler Hemi. A five-speed automatic transmission is used instead of the more modern eight- speed unit now on the rest of the 300 range. But if you’ve got 631 Newton metres of torque at your disposal, you really don’t need that much more assistance from a bunch of extra ratios. Awe- some stopping power is provided by the big Brembo disc brakes. Trundling up and down the motorway at 115 km/h we saw fuel consumption average a hard-to-believe eight litres per 100 kilo- metres. That’s partly due to the COD (Cylinder on De- mand) feature that cuts four cylinders under light load. That’s right, our Chrysler 300 SRT Core was a four- cylinder car. Consumption leapt in urban driving, being in the mid-teens most of the time. In the country and having a go it was getting towards the 20s. Road grip is high, but this is a big, heavy car so you don’t get the same corner- ing enjoyment as you do from the best of the small hot hatches. Ride comfort isn’t too bad, but rough roads certainly let you know the low-profile tyres aren’t able to cushion the car all that well. An excellent concept in affordable performance motoring, the big Chrysler 300 SRT8 Core is a perman- ent addition to the Chrysler 300 range. Incidentally, that range has just been ex- panded to include yet an- other model, the 300S. Chrysler 300 SRT8 Core PRICE: from $56,000 Engine: 6.4L eight- cylinder petrol Power: 347kW Torque: 631Nm Transmission: 5-speed auto, RWD Thirst: 13.0L/100km, 303g/km CO2 Fiesta has the flair to win over women Ford Fiesta EcoBoost FIESTA’S fuel efficiency and high-end look and feel proved a winning combination. The little Ford Fiesta EcoBoost was a winner with women judges and Ford of Europe’s chief operating officer Barb Samardizch was handed the trophy for 2013 Women’s World Car of the Year in a ceremony in Cologne, Germany. The panel of judges from around the world cited the 1.0-litre EcoBoost Fiesta’s fuel efficiency, plus its premium look and feel, as key factors in selecting it from a tough 2013 field that included vehicles as diverse as the Porsche Boxster S, Audi Allroad and Range Rover. ‘‘It was clear from the outset that the new Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost had struck a chord with our panel of female motoring experts from around the world,’’ chief judge, New Zealander Sandy Myhre said. ‘‘Women play a significant but often overlooked role in buying a car and the new Fiesta’s high-end look and feel, remarkable fuel economy and surprising performance are just some of the features which clearly chime with the needs of many female drivers.’’ The award is judged on a range of factors women focus on when shopping for cars, including safety, value-for-money, appear- ance, storage, child-friendliness, ease-of- driving, colour, sex appeal and environ- mental impact. ‘‘The success of the new Fiesta, both in terms of this award and impressive sales, has been achieved with a car which is sharp looking, better connected and even more fuel efficient and fun-to-drive,’’ said Ms Samardizch as she accepted the trophy.
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18 — Centralian Advocate, Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Alice Springs to Adelaide | Adelaide to Alice Springs
WEEKLY SERVICE
RedStarCar Carriers
8256 1299 for a quote
MOTORING
Core values where it countsEwan Kennedy
The new Chrysler 300 SRT Cor has fewer features than some of its stable mates but it is excellent value for money.
THE reasoning behind theChrysler 300 SRT Core is assimple as the car itself.
The thinking behind itgoes back to the core ofbuyer preferences -value formoney in a high-poweredmachine. This special 300model has been developedspecifically for the Austral-ian market as the guys inthe States are well aware ofour enthusiasm DownUnder. Indeed, the Ameri-cans are now to be offeredthe Aussie-specced car ontheir home market.
A neat $10,000 has beenstripped from the price ofthe standard 300 SRT, drop-ping it to an affordable$56,000. As it has kept thecore values of the carexactly as before, the newmodel is tagged Chrysler 300SRT Core.
That $56,000 recom-mended price puts the bigChrysler right down withthe hot Ford Falcons andH o lden Commodores .Tellingly the SRT Core isunder the price of thelowest-cost HSV models.
Price trimming of theChrysler SRT Core hasbeen achieved by giving itcloth trim instead ofleather; there’s no heatingof the rear seats, though thefronts still get warmed (butnot cooled); the drinkholders are no longer con-nected to the aircondition-ing system so remain at theambient temperature; andthere’s no floor mat or cargonet in the boot.
A basic audio system isused, with the number ofspeakers reduced from 19 tosix - meaning you will haveto spend more time listeningto the exhaust note of thebig Chrysler V8. Soundsgood to us!
Standard, not adaptive,cruise control is used; youmiss out on the adaptivesuspension damping sys-tem; there isn’t a blind spotmonitor (though surely any-one who drives an SRTknows how to set door mir-rors). The rear cross-path
detection system is a handyfeature but sadly it’s beenstripped out.
This is what the Chrysler300C is all about. Thoughthe importer doesn’t like itto be called the Gangsta car,I’ve got some bad news forthem - everyone whochatted to us about the newCore product used exactlythat term.
Chrysler 300 SRT8 Corehas 20-inch alloy wheels in atwin-five-spoke design.There are Hemi 6.4L badgesin red and chrome on thefront guards and a red Corebadge on the boot lid.
Core is offered in eightpaint colours: Gloss Black,Ivory tri-coat pearl, BilletSilver metallic, Jazz Bluepearl, Granite crystal met-allic pearl, Deep Cherry Redcrystal pearl, PhantomBlack tri-coat pearl, andBright White.
The Cores cabin has blackseat trim with white stitch-ing and ‘‘SRT’’ is em-broidered into material.There are piano-blackbezels and matte carbon ac-cents on the instrumentpanel and centre console.
All the important power-train parts remain as in thestandard Chrysler SRT8.The 6.4-litre Hemi V8 eng-ine produces 465 horse-power (347kW in Australianterms) and a great 631Nmof torque.
The active exhaust sys-tem remains as does theexcellent launch control sys-tem that really gets the bigbeast moving with just theright amount of wheelspin.It’s only to be used in thecorrect locations, of course.
The really interestingthing is that the 300C SRT8Core is lighter than its full-house big brother so pre-sumably has better per-formance in a straight line.You would need timing gearto test this, and it’s likely toonly show hundredths-of-a-second improvements. Still,hundredths are importantin high-performance cars . . .
Throttle response is all-but instantaneous and the
automatic reacts quickly tothe drivers demands.
This American musclemachine sounds great,though a little more volumewould be appreciated at lowto moderate throttle open-ings. It’s a bit sad whenAMG Mercs and BentleyContinental Speeds providebigger sounds than aChrysler Hemi.
A five-speed automatictransmission is used insteadof the more modern eight-speed unit now on the rest ofthe 300 range. But if you’vegot 631 Newton metres oftorque at your disposal, youreally don’t need that muchmore assistance from a
bunch of extra ratios. Awe-some stopping power isprovided by the big Brembodisc brakes.
Trundling up and downthe motorway at 115 km/hwe saw fuel consumptionaverage a hard-to-believeeight litres per 100 kilo-metres. That’s partly due tothe COD (Cylinder on De-mand) feature that cuts fourcylinders under light load.That’s right, our Chrysler300 SRT Core was a four-cylinder car. Consumptionleapt in urban driving, beingin the mid-teens most of thetime. In the country andhaving a go it was gettingtowards the 20s.
Road grip is high, but thisis a big, heavy car so youdon’t get the same corner-ing enjoyment as you dofrom the best of the smallhot hatches.
Ride comfort isn’t too bad,but rough roads certainly letyou know the low-profiletyres aren’t able to cushionthe car all that well.
An excellent concept inaffordable performancemotoring, the big Chrysler300 SRT8 Core is a perman-ent addition to the Chrysler300 range. Incidentally, thatrange has just been ex-panded to include yet an-other model, the 300S.
Chrysler 300SRT8 CorePRICE: from $56,000
Engine: 6.4L eight-cylinder petrol
Power: 347kW
Torque: 631Nm
Transmission: 5-speedauto, RWD
Thirst: 13.0L/100km,303g/km CO2
Fiesta has the flairto win over women
Ford Fiesta EcoBoost
FIESTA’S fuel efficiency and high-end lookand feel proved a winning combination.
The little Ford Fiesta EcoBoost was awinner with women judges and Ford ofEurope’s chief operating officer BarbSamardizch was handed the trophy for 2013Women’s World Car of the Year in aceremony in Cologne, Germany.
The panel of judges from around theworld cited the 1.0-litre EcoBoost Fiesta’sfuel efficiency, plus its premium look andfeel, as key factors in selecting it from atough 2013 field that included vehicles asdiverse as the Porsche Boxster S, AudiAllroad and Range Rover.
‘‘It was clear from the outset that the newFiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost had struck a chordwith our panel of female motoring expertsfrom around the world,’’ chief judge, NewZealander Sandy Myhre said.
‘‘Women play a significant but oftenoverlooked role in buying a car and the newFiesta’s high-end look and feel, remarkablefuel economy and surprising performanceare just some of the features whichclearly chime with the needs of manyfemale drivers.’’
The award is judged on a range of factors
women focus on when shopping for cars,including safety, value-for-money, appear-ance, storage, child-friendliness, ease-of-driving, colour, sex appeal and environ-mental impact.
‘‘The success of the new Fiesta, both interms of this award and impressive sales,has been achieved with a car which is sharplooking, better connected and even morefuel efficient and fun-to-drive,’’ said MsSamardizch as she accepted the trophy.
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