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The new Chrysler 300 is clearly bold and, we would argue, cool. But mostly the styling is uncompromising and makes no apologies. Curiously, maybe magically, it might appeal to both young and old.

The 300 looks dramatic in profile. Rear-wheel-drive architecture allowed this whole new shape. The wheelwell cutouts, wrapping around five-spoke 17-inch or 10-spoke 18-inch wheels, are striking. The wheelbase is very long but the overhangs are short, offering a visual sense of power. The sedan roofline, a sort of '30s gangster tease, beautifully complements the lines which are long, low and carved as if from a big horizontal block of metal. The roof rakes thickly down to a short deck, and the sides are like large slabs. The long hood glides forward and drops off a cliff whose face is the massive grille, so strong it dictates the car's lines.

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The interior of the Chrysler 300 is marked by spacious silence. Chrysler engineers have been reducing interior and wind noise with all their new vehicles, so it's not surprising that the flagship sedan should get the treatment. Chrysler has its own $36 million aero-acoustic wind tunnel, and they've been trying to get their money's worth out of it.

It's a very clean cockpit. Our Chrysler 300C had a satin silver center stack, which was elegantly functional, nothing decorative about it. We felt blessed not to have to play games with the controls and switchgear to get them to function. There are two horizontal rectangular climate vents on either side of an analog clock, above the sound system and climate system controlled by four simple knobs. The 300C steering wheel is a nice four-spoke design with tortoise shell wood trim making a gradual arc along the top, like a Mercedes wheel. The four gauges are round, clear and pleasing to the eye in a balanced layout, with black numbers and needles on a white background, almost Italian-looking. From the driver's perspective, it's all good.

There is a gated shifter for the AutoStick, forward of which is a marginal fast food bin, but the console is nice and deep, with coin holders and deep cup holders.

Our leather interior was a subtle two-tone, beige and gray, and the seats were on the firm side but comfortable (again, Mercedes-like), although they could use more side bolstering in the 300C which has the engine and tires to corner harder. They are elevated by 2.5 inches, as this is the thing to do nowadays because buyers like to sit high, but because the door sills are also high for safety, it's a good overall relative fit. Because the windshield rake is relatively modest, visibility forward is enhanced over that very long hood. Visibility out the rear is also excellent, without much intrusion from the roofline.

The cabin is roomy, thanks largely to the efficient shape of the exterior: the chassis is pushed out to the wheels, and the wheelbase is long, leaving 106.6 cubic feet (SAE standard) inside. The 60/40 split rear folding seat, with a folding center armrest and integrated cupholders, offers a relaxing 40 inches of legroom, although because it's rear-wheel drive the driveshaft tunnel on the floor down the center of the car has returned. The door openings are extra large, making climbing in and out noticeably easier and more pleasant.

The trunk of the Chrysler 300 holds 15.6 cubic feet, and opens forward to the fold-down rear seat, so the ability to tow a boat and carry all you need is there. A safety innovation can be found in the trunk. The well in the cargo floor, holding the spare tire, is built at an angle, so if the 300 is crashed into from the rear, the tire will rotate upward allowing the frame structure to deform as designed.