Despite Slew of Upcoming Models, Large Family Sedans Are an Endangered Species

With the announcement of more sophisticated, technology-laden versions of the Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala, you'd think the state of large, non-luxury family sedans was pretty sound, but think again.

Over just the past five years, the full-size family sedan market has seen its relevance halved, according to R.L. Polk & Co. The segment used to have 15 models, but in recent years that number has dwindled to just seven, says Polk. Subsequently, market share has dropped from slightly above 5% of all vehicles sold to just 2.3% in the first three months of the year, Polk reports. Today, the segment is only one-third the size of the minivan market, a segment long derided as "dead" and already abandoned by big movers and shakers like GM and Ford.

Lapping Road America With Chrysler's Design Chief

Ralph Gilles tapped the drivetrain's Sport button and held down an adjacent key to deactivate the electronic stability system. We were in a 470-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT8 — Gilles at the wheel, me riding shotgun — about to hug the best four miles of asphalt anywhere in the Midwest: Wisconsin's Road America racetrack.

"Now we're in full 'oh s—t' mode," Gilles smiled.

I figured Chrysler's chief designer could careen around a racetrack in his own cars any way he liked, and it seemed like a good way to pass time after the 20-year company veteran spoke to journalists at the Midwest Automotive Media Association's Spring Rally last week. Careen we did, nearing 140 mph down the half-mile Kettle Bottoms, between the 11th and 12th of Road America's 14 turns. Gilles is a better track driver than me, but that's not saying much: My apexes are messy, my drifts fleeting. Any weekend enthusiast would show me taillights.

Gilles has also navigated Chrysler's own twists and turns. The 42-year-old designer jokes of still having nightmares of former CEO Bob Nardelli, whose tenure lasted all of 21 months, and he calls his current boss, Sergio Marchionne, a "globally minded" car guy. Gilles has led the automaker's design for three years, overseeing cars from the Dodge Dart to the SRT Viper. A year ago, Marchionne appointed Gilles the CEO of Chrysler's SRT performance brand.

2012 Chrysler 300S: Car Seat Check

For 2012, Chrysler introduced a new S trim to the 300 lineup. The 300S is a full-size sedan with a V-6 or V-8 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. On the inside, it seats five in sport seats and has a standard Beats by Dr. Dre stereo, which is sure to impress the teen set.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

Backing Up Blind: Chrysler's Rear-Cross Path System at Work

On my last trip to the grocery store, I squeezed the large Chrysler 300 sedan into a less-than-large parking spot and ran in for some supplies, not giving the car or the spot a second thought. When I returned, it was flanked by an SUV and a pickup truck, blocking my view to the sides as I tried to back out.

I had two choices: Hold my breath and hope no one was charging down the aisle while I did the blind backup, or rely on the 300's Rear Cross Path detection system, which I was betting would be more effective at preventing accidents while in Reverse than simply crossing my fingers.

Recall Alert: 2011-2012 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger

Chrysler is recalling 119,072 model-year 2011 and 2012 versions of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans due to problems with the electronic stability control and antilock braking systems, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles could lose ABS/ESC functionality because of an overheated power distribution center. This could lead to a loss of vehicle control and an increased risk of injury.

Chrysler will notify owners later this month, and dealers will relocate the ABS/ESC fuse free of charge. Owners can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Chrysler Mopar 300: Photo Gallery

Chrysler's 300 is getting a new factory-built option that gives it more aggressive styling and a performance boost. Designed and engineered by Mopar, Chrysler says it'll achieve better acceleration times than the regular 300C.

More 2012 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

The Mopar 300's bold exterior design cues include black paint and blue-striped 20-inch wheels, beltline and hood. Black leather trims the interior and blue stitching dots the surfaces in the cabin.

Chrysler's Mopar Dart, 500, 300C and Compass: Up Close

Chrysler celebrated the 75th anniversary of its Mopar accessories division by bringing four custom vehicles to the Chicago Auto Show: a 2012 Chrysler 300C, 2013 Dodge Dart, 2012 Fiat 500 and 2012 Jeep Compass. The Mopar-accessorized, rear-wheel-drive 300C will be available from the factory this summer for around $49,000 -- about $3,000 more than a loaded rear-drive 300C. The others are available with assorted parts from Mopar’s catalog, and I checked out all four.

More 2012 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

True to its factory-rollout status, the Mopar 300C looks like the sleeper of the bunch, with subtle blue stripes and matching wheels. Pop the hood, and Chrysler's 5.7-liter V-8 has blue etching. Thanks to a 3.91 rear axle ratio -- compared with 3.06 for the standard 300C -- the Mopar car should hit 60 mph in close to 5 seconds, Chrysler says. The automaker doesn't cite an exact zero-to-60 time on the regular 300C, except to say it’s "under 6 seconds." The tradeoff is the engine running at higher, mileage-killing rpm on the interstate, but I doubt any Mopar owner will care. I'm not as wild about the custom interior. It gets a cool, palm-sized automatic shifter but trades the 300's upscale Nappa leather for blue-accented Katzkin leather seats. They feel like too much aftermarket cowhide: shiny and, well, cheap.

2012 Chrysler 300 Earns Five-Star Safety Rating

The 2012 Chrysler 300 sedan is the latest vehicle to join the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's five-star safety club. It earned an overall five stars out of five in NHTSA's crash tests. 

The Chrysler 300's composite score was composed of mostly five stars across the different areas of testing, but it did earn four stars in the driver safety column and in the rollover test. The sedan earned fives in frontal, side barrier and side pole crashes. 

NHTSA recently adopted more stringent guidelines and rigorous testing practices, so it's harder for vehicles to get five stars. Chrysler's largest sedan is the ninth vehicle to be awarded NHTSA's highest combined star rating for the 2012 model year. Other five-star vehicles include the Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Sonic, Saab 9-4X, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S60. 

Factory-Customized Chrysler 300 Headed to 2012 Chicago Auto Show

A highly customized Chrysler 300 sedan — designed and engineered by Mopar to achieve better acceleration times than the regular 300C — will be unveiled at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show in early February.

The factory-built model, called the Mopar '12 300, will offer the same styling enhancements as the Chrysler 300S but with additional performance enhancements.

Additions include a boosted final-drive ratio on the rear differential, which helps to increase acceleration times to the low-five-second mark. It's still slower than the 300 SRT8 version, but presumably this model goes after a different demographic. The Mopar '12 300 features 42% stiffer front and 23% stiffer rear spring rates compared to a regular 300, and it also comes with high-performance all-season tires and beefed-up brake linings for better stopping power.

Recall Alert: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8

Dodge is recalling certain versions of its performance-oriented SRT8 sedans because of a glitch in the tire pressure monitoring system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The systems in 303 SRT8 versions of the 2012 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger don't warn drivers when tire pressure falls 25% below the recommended level. The affected vehicles notify drivers when the pressure reaches 22 pounds per square inch instead of the required 24 psi. Underinflated tires could result in tire overloading and overheating, leading to a possible blowout or crash.

Vehicles in the recall were manufactured from May 2 through Nov. 17, 2011. (You can find the vehicle's build date on a label affixed to the driver-side doorjamb.) Dealers will reprogram the TPMS for free. Owners will be notified next month. For more info, owners can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.