It seems like only yesterday we were complaining about the cold weather, and now most of us are wishing for a little more of it. While ski season is months away, Chrysler’s cool 300 Glacier edition keeps you chill.

Chrysler learned early in the 300’s life that owners love customizing the sedan with large wheels, unique body trim, and personalized interiors. As a factory custom, the 300 Glacier stands apart with Gloss Black mirrors, headlamp bezels, roof, and grille blades. Keeping with the winter theme, Glacier editions come in Bright White, Billet Silver Metallic, or Glacier Blue Pearl Coat – all over 19” Satin Carbon alloys.

Glacier interiors are my favorite of any 300, with the possible exception of the hyper-performance SRT8. Bluish canvas upholsters the seats between swaths of leather-wrapped bolsters. The center stack is surrounded by Piano Black plastic, as are the steering wheel, gauge cluster, and door panel trim. Faux matte-finish carbon fiber adds detail to the center console, dash, and doors. Ice blue lighting and a glasslike appearance for the gauges adds interest. Nothing is overdone, but there are many subtle details.

There’s also a lot of technology. Front and center is the world’s easiest-to-use touchscreen for audio, climate, and navigation, with redundant knobs and buttons that even a Kardashian could use. Heated seats keep buns toasty while Bluetooth hands-free calling, streaming audio, and USB input make communicating and listening to your favorite tunes a sled ride. Use caution with the “Beats by Dr. Dre” sub-woofered audio system, which could shake loose an avalanche.

Melting this icicle, Glacier editions come standard with Chrysler’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that delivers 300 horsepower and 21/27 mpg city/highway. Power makes it to the wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted aluminum paddles. If that fails to excite you, go full-HEMI with the optional 363 horsepower 5.7-liter V8.

This special Chrysler looks like it emerged from a winter wonderland and appropriately packs an all-wheel-drive system that features a front axle disconnect to maximize fuel economy. It can shift power seamlessly between axles without driver intervention, yet when cruising in dry weather, it essentially becomes a rear-drive performance sedan with little fuel economy penalty.

Taking the car on a long drive is bliss. Sitting in the 300’s big comfy seats, feeling the Mercedes-derived suspension soak up the road like an iron sponge, and peering over the long sculpted hood, you feel like you’re driving a substantial automobile. You just want to point it towards open interstate and go see America. It’s dead silent at 80 mph, even the V6 provides ample power, and it looks darned spiffy inside and out. A tight turning radius gives the 300 moves of a much smaller car. It’s a completely contemporary expression of mid-century living.

Thankfully, winter is still way in our future. In any season, the 300 Glacier is a handsome car with a lot to like underneath. A base price of $35,345, or $40,335 as tested, pits Chrysler’s swift ice queen against the Chevy Impala, Ford Taurus, and Toyota Avalon.

Storm Forward!

2013 Chrysler 300 Glacier
Five-passenger, AWD sedan
Powertrain: 300 hp 3.6-liter V6, 8-speed automatic transmission
Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind
Wheels: 19”/19” alloy f/r
Brakes: disc/disc fr/rr with ABS
Must-have features: Mercedes DNA, icy personality
Fuel economy: 21/27 mpg city/highway
Assembly: Brampton, ON
Base/As-tested price: $35,345/$40,335