Chrysler 300 hybrid planned for 2013

October 2011

Chrysler plans to build more hybrid cars in time for proposed fuel economy standards to be introduced in the US, reports say.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler, recently told CNET that it has at least one car in mind - a hybrid version of the Chrysler 300 - due in 2013.

With plans to also offer more diesel cars, Marchionne recognises that the proposed US fuel economy standards for 2025 have required hybrid options to become available.

"I have no other way of getting to 2025 numbers than by going to hybrids," he said.

The revamped Chrysler 300C has recently earned the praise from Consumer Reports, receiving an "excellent" overall road test score of 80 in the publication's latest tests of upscale sedans.

The positive reviews gave the Chrysler 300C a boost in rankings, amongst a list of cars that also included the Hyundai Genesis and the Toyota Avalon.

David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Centre, noted the "quieter, more luxurious" car had improved visibility and handling, adding that it was "the best Chrysler sedan seen in decades." The Chrysler 300C is the top-level, V8-powered version of the 300 large sedan and is expected to hit Australian shores early next year.