Refreshed Chrysler 300 SRT won't be sold in NA

Mon, 20 Oct 2014

It looks like it might be time to bid farewell to the V8 rumble from the Chrysler 300 SRT – at least if you live in North America. The reported change comes as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reshuffles its ranks with the Dodge brand, re-absorbing SRT and building its muscular reputation with the Challenger and Charger Hellcat models. Meanwhile, Chrysler is taking a more mainstream approach, and that likely means the end of overt high-performance models from the division for now.

According to Automotive News, the 300 SRT will be discontinued in the US for 2015, but it won't be totally dead. Some right-hand drive markets will still get the brawny V8 sedan next year, a distinction that goes a long way toward explaining some spy shots we've seen recently.

The 300 SRT's North American demise probably shouldn't come as a total shock. In FCA's five-year plan, it says that the 300 is destined for a refresh to be unveiled later this year, presumably at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. There's no mention of the SRT model in the document, though, which seems to signal its end.

In regards to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the other non-Dodge from the former SRT brand, it's likely sticking around in spirit, if not in name. According to Automotive News, insiders say that the recent trademark filing for the Trackhawk could be meant for a sporty Grand Cherokee for 2016, but there's no official decision yet. The high-performance SUV still wears the SRT badge for 2015, though. Still, Trackhawk sounds like a nice fit with the off-road Trailhawk models on the Cherokee and upcoming Renegade, and it's possible that the Trackhawk designation will supplant that of SRT on this model.

By Chris Bruce