Chrysler->ke21 takes a lot of pride in its flagship 300->ke937 sedan.->ke142 When it comes to the 300S, the S really tricks you into thinking it's a more powerful version of the 300, but in reality, it's just a darker take on the 300 Sedan. When it was first introduced, the 300S featured a blacked out grille, tinted headlights, black window moldings, and some black trim inside. In 2014, the 300S was upgraded to include a new Ambassador Blue interior and Beats by Dr. Dre audio system.

Now that the New York Auto Show->ke226 has kicked off, Chrysler has dropped a new variant of the 300S that incorporates an Interior Sport Appearance Package and an Exterior Sport Appearance Package. The 300S V-8 model comes standard with the packages, and they are available as options on the boring V-6 variant. Tim Kuniskis, the Head of Passenger Car Brands for Dodge,->ke28 SRT,->ke4431 and FCA of North America,->ke5312 said, “The new 2017 Chrysler 300S re-excites the passion of what owning an American flagship sedan is about." He continued, “And now for our Chrysler enthusiasts, two all-new sport appearance packages that take the 300S model’s athletic styling and appointments to the next level.”

In all honesty, these packages are nothing more than an extension of the 300S’ dark ambiance, but it's worth a quick look to go over the details.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Chrysler 300S Sport Appearance Packages.

What makes the Chrysler 300S Sport Appearance Packages special

According to Chrysler, the Exterior Sport Appearance Package offers “a more aggressive front fascia with larger air intakes and integrated LED fog lamps highlighting the 300S model’s world-class handling and levels of technology.” Upon inspection of the included images, I don’t really see it. From what I can tell, the air dam and corner vents look almost identical. The major change I see is the strip of LED taillights that aren’t available on the normal 300S. The fascia itself looks to be the same, but the chrome insert that travels from below the corner vents and over the air dam is now painted in the same color as the body. The front lip may extend from the fascia a little bit, but if so, it’s no more than an inch. Not exactly what I would call aggressive, but it is a change, nonetheless. To the sides, you’ll notice there are a new set of 20-inch wheels. When equipped with AWD, however, these wheels are only 19-inches in size. To the rear, the only change is the new lip spoiler that has been added to the decklid. I must admit it does add a bit of style to the rear end.

The Interior Sport Appearance Package is just as bland as the exterior, but don’t dismiss it just yet, as it has its perks. The package brings updated sport-contoured seating that now offers better cradling and comfort. In the front, the performance seats are wrapped in perforated leather with high-bolstered contours that are done up in suede. In addition to all this, the seats are also heated and ventilated, which is a nice addition.

All told, it isn’t a lot, and I think the whole purpose of these packages is simply to bring something new to the New York Auto Show. To be quite honest, it all seems kind of lazy, and really doesn’t add much value. I sure hope Chrysler isn’t planning on charging too much for these packages on the V-6 300S. I know I wouldn’t pay more than a few hundred bucks for these few upgrades. At least the package comes standard on the V-8 model, which I would be going for if I was a fan of Chrysler.

Chrysler 300S

The Chrysler 300 was designed by Ralph Gilles in 2001, and made its first public appearance at the New York Auto show in 2003. It was only a concept at that point, but it was quickly shifted into production and went on sale in the U.S. in April of 2004. It was the first RWD Chrysler since the Newport. So far, the car has seen two generations, with the first generation running from 2005 to 2010. These models were plagued with chassis and suspension problems, which was partially remedied when Chrysler released the second generation for the 2011 model year. The next-generational change is expected to happen for the 2018 model year, when hopefully the model will finally be perfected and free of flaws.

Read our full review on the Chrysler 300S here.