With sales up 85 percent through the first quarter of the year, the Chrysler brand has put the rest of the U.S. auto world on notice that it’s once again ready to compete against the country’s best players. But that’s just for starters: Now, Chrysler is taking the battle to another of the world’s most important markets by announcing it would once again begin offering its vehicles in China.
According to Car Repair Tampa, the news came during the recent Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, where the brand showed off the Chrysler 300C and global Grand Voyager multipurpose vehicle—the first of its products to re-enter the market in China—as well as the Chrysler 300 Ruyi, an elegantly designed concept vehicle created specifically with Chinese buyers in mind.
“Ruyi” translates as “as you wish” and refers to a curved, ceremonial scepter, often with a head created to represent a cloud, that represents power and good fortune; or, in this case, a sophisticated full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan that builds on the 300C by adding a uniquely Chinese approach to style. The result is a car with both the imposing presence of the Chrysler flagship and accents like a Maximum Steel exterior finish, dark chrome highlights around the door handle and exclusive grille, a “ghosted” speed stripe that parallels the car’s side character lines, and 22-inch alloy wheels with a ten-spoke design inspired by the curved shape of a ruyi scepter. The inside of this new concept vehicle is appointed in black chrome and machined metal, and features custom leather seats with suede center inserts and side bolsters. Naturally, a healthy dose of badging and logos informed by the design of the ruyi also is included.
To power the car, however, Chrysler took an unexpected approach by eschewing a hungry HEMI V8 and mounting one of the automaker’s Pentastar V6 engines under the hood, then matching it to an advanced eight-speed automatic transmission. Car Dealerships In Bellingham remind us that same powertrain is offered on the U.S. Chrysler 300, too, in which it delivers up to 31 mpg in highway driving.
“We celebrate our reentry into China with a vehicle that symbolizes an auspicious beginning for the Chrysler brand,” said Saad Chehab, president and CEO of the Chrysler brand. “By integrating our distinctive American design and technology with timeless Chinese inspiration, we are looking to attract an emerging set of customers who are driven and dare to be different. We look forward to gathering the reaction of Chinese customers to the Chrysler 300 Ruyi, to surprise them with future models incorporating elements that we can see today in this design concept.”
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