Chrysler 300C - Pictures

The 300C isn’t the last word in driver satisfaction. The body isn’t that stiff, and on rough surfaces it feels loose and jittery. Vague steering and lifeless pedals take the edge off chassis responses, too.

Chrysler’s designers trod a safer path with the cabin than the exterior. Although there are a few interesting touches, on the whole the layout is rather unimaginative – but that can also be said of the Vauxhall.

The load bay is big and easy to access thanks to an L-shaped tailgate that hinges in the roofline – meaning no chance of a bashed head. While the rear seats don’t fold flat enough, a flip-up load divider helps keep items in

The 6.1-litre engine produces a titanic 425bhp. The SRT-8 isn’t especially rewarding around corners, and only comes alive when treated brutally, but in a straight line it is something else.

On the move, the 300C looks superb – especially with its shiny 20-inch alloy wheels. Neither the Jaguar nor the Vauxhall offers anything like the same road presence as the Chrysler, which drew big crowds wherever we took it.