Chrysler says 300S lures younger buyers

LOS ANGELES — For years, Chrysler kept the focus on the performance version of its 300 sedan, the 300C.

And why not. The car caught on not only with Hemi-fueled screeching-tire addicts, but rap moguls as well.

Now, for the latest version of the 300, Chrysler executives seem even more enthusiastic about another version of its full-size sedan, the 300S.

The 300S is a more balanced, upscale version of the 300. It has the 300-horsepower Pentastar V-6 or 363-horsepower Hemi V-8, but has lots of dress-up features like a blacked-out look, with "Hyper black" 20-inch wheels, rather than flashy bling-bling chrome for which the 300C was known.

It's catching on. Al Gardner, CEO of the Chrysler brand, says that 40% to 45% of 300 sales are the 300S and, even more interesting, the average age of the buyer of a 300S is lower: The age averages 48, compared to 61 for the full-size sedan category.

"The brand is what was designed to be: efficient performance," he says.

Gardner sounds like a man on a mission. His goal: To bring back those who owned 300s when the model, with its big grille, high belt line and other bold styling, was the talk of the auto industry a decade ago. At the time, it was being treated by buyers as if it were a luxury car.

"We want to go and get them back again," Gardner said at a Los Angeles event last week.

Gardner says in order to expose potential buyers to the car, Chrysler will be seeding rental fleets with the more upscale 300S and 300C, not just the base-level 300 as it has done in the past. That way, renters will see the car at its best and may want to own one.