I failed my chemistry exam at school so have no idea which is more harmful to the planet and its population – the higher carbon dioxide emissions of gas-powered vehicles, or the higher nitrogen dioxide content pushed out by diesels. Heck, for years I thought carbon monoxide was what gave Pepsi its fizz.

What I do know is that, right now, the diesel vehicle is under attack on the other side of the Atlantic. In Britain, sales of new diesel cars first exceeded those of petrol cars back in 2010 yet now there is talk of oil-burners being banned from London (and presumably other city centers) in five years’ time. In France, almost 80 percent of new cars sold are diesel powered, but now the country’s government is proposing rules to halt that trend and instead offer huge financial incentives to switch to electric vehicles. Suddenly it seems NO2 does indeed mean no-no.

Somewhat cynically, I don’t quite trust politicians to tell the inconvenient truths without the bias of hidden agendas. Stimulating the economy, giving tax breaks to local industry and creating job opportunities within the country’s automotive companies can all, let’s say, have an influence on how a governor presents the figures. But if what the world’s governments are saying is right and EVs, hybrids and small-capacity turbo units are indeed the way forward, then it means America has largely skipped the diesel step in car evolution. Yes, the most recent figures I found showed a 25 percent increase in U.S. diesel sales in the first half of 2014 but that’s hardly impressive when you realize their market share of new car sales was still well under three percent.

This marked disinterest, for all I know, may have proven better for the environment, in which case that’s a happy consequence. However, I suspect it was driven not by people’s “green” concerns, but by their being prisoners of prejudice after following too many old-school Benz diesels up hills as they belched steam-train soot to create 80 rattly horsepower. Consequently some of the wonderful cars of the past couple decades that combined superb fuel consumption with a groundswell of torque and stunning mid-range acceleration have been lost to the American populace.

They still are. The turbodiesel-engined variant of the Chrysler 300C is the only model sold in the UK, yet the only one not available in the USA, presumably because of emission regulations. Its 3-liter / 182 cu.in. six-cylinder engine also powers the lion’s share of new Jeeps sold in the Old Country, but again is nowhere to be seen here (although is now available in the Grand Cherokee in Canada). The Lancia VM Motori-developed unit makes 237hp at 4000rpm and 410lb-ft of torque from 1800 to 2800rpm, thus delivering more twist than Chrysler’s 5.7-liter Hemi…and at a more useful end of the rev range.

This is enough to send the 300 to 60mph from standstill in 7.2sec, and on to 100mph in 21sec – not startling figures even by diesel standards – but not bad for a 4,500lb car. The 40-70mph figure of 5.6sec better indicates where this car’s strengths lie and at that point, you only feel the acceleration rather than hear it because the car’s so quiet and refined, which may come as a surprise to diesel virgins. Like all 300s, the sound deadening between engine bay and cabin is superb and there’s a near absence of wind noise, even at 80mph. Step outside the car and yes, you can hear it’s not a gas engine, but then that’s also true of Mercedes-Benz BlueTec (that’s M-B’s posh word for diesel) engines. For those still unsure about the refinement of such cars, note this: from inside the 300’s cabin, the aural tone from the engine bay sounds barely different to a gas-powered 6-cylinder, either at idle or under hard acceleration.

And the fuel economy will come as a pleasant shock to the uninitiated. At 75mph, our test car was recording 41mpg (UK gallons) which is 34mpg on this side of The Pond. Repeated city driving – London over the Christmas period is as miserably stop-go as rush hour in LA – dragged the average down to 32mpg [U.S. 26mpg], but when you realize that’s about the same as a Hemi model on a 75mph cruise with its engine in four-cylinder mode, you can’t fail to be impressed. If this 300 possessed the eight-speed ZF transmission that its gas-powered V6 and V8 brethren are now all blessed with, it would only improve the fuel consumption (as well as improve its acceleration and elevate its refinement to near-Bentley level). I’ve grumbled about the antiquated five-speed ’box enough in the past, particularly the semi-auto paddle-operated downchanges in Chrysler-Dodge sportier models. In this application, however, the torque curve allows a lower cog to be selected without jolting, even when pressing on.

Still, it will come as no surprise to learn that this is not a car that struts its stuff when driven to its limit, being thrown down twisty lanes. Weight isn’t the issue, it’s width. That broad-shouldered stance is no optical illusion and the Chrysler is marginally broader than a BMW 7-series, and so there are single-lane country roads in the UK with blind corners where girth necessarily hinders your pace. The steering ratio of three turns lock-to-lock, the supple suspension that allows the car to contemptuously pummel some truly horrible road surfaces (even on this car’s optional 20-inch tires) and the plush leather seats – all are indications that Chrysler’s aim is squarely at the customer who puts comfort and refinement above sporting prowess.

That’s a bit of a pity, because the 300 is fun to ski around; it just requires a fair bit of space, especially on the freezing and/or wet roads of Britain in December. It behaves very much like the SRT model which is blessed with twice its power, in that it grips well before understeering benignly, its steering weights up at speed and its brakes are stunningly strong without being oversensitive – a quality that several rival manufacturers fail to achieve. Turn the traction control off and you’re a toe-prod away from tapping the torque supply and countering the understeer – or even gently drifting the tail – but, as suggested, you need to find an abundance of real estate to do it at speed. I don’t foresee many 300s being taken on track days.

It doesn’t matter at all. From the outset this car was designed for comfort, measuring less than 200 inches yet offering the cabin room of the biggest German cars. That’s hurt its trunk space a little, but the payoff is superb legroom in the rear. The tall transmission tunnel hampers the comfort of an adult in the center of the rear seat, but limb-space for those directly behind the front seats is limousine-standard. With the driver’s seat set to accommodate my 6’3” frame, I could also comfortably sit directly behind without my knees touching the back of the seat. That’s quite amazing considering how deep those chairs are.

Aside from the armchairs and sofa, interior quality is mixed in the 300. The matte wood trim looks good and real, but doesn’t really blend well with the dark and silver plastics around it, although maybe this is a personal thing: I dislike wood appearing in any post-mid-’70s cars since I believe it really is time for people to move on. The center console is dominated by the infotainment system’s screen which is big and clear, much like the controls below it. The only fault it contained was the satnav being slightly slow, warning me of turns I needed to make when I was already on top of them. But hey, maybe that’s why Chrysler made the brakes so good.

The only other flaw in our car was a rustling from the roof over the bigger bumps – hopefully not the two panes of the beautiful double sunroof rubbing their seals against each other, but more likely the retractable shade. The heated/ventilated seats, heated/chilled cupholders, heated steering wheel were all pressed into service and performed as expected, while the dials are as beautiful as you find in any Chrysler 300.

The joy of the European-spec Chrysler 300 is that there’s no other car like it in that market. Incredibly distinctive looks-wise, it has carved out its own niche rather than attempted to fulfill the roles impressively covered by Germany’s best sedans. For example, Chrysler won’t be attempting to match a diesel BMW 7-series around the Nurburgring: that isn’t the point of the 300. Instead, it provides the comfortable isolation provided by a Mercedes-Benz S-class, but with a far more distinctive profile, and for less than half the price – around 30,000 British pounds sterling (that’s $46,000, approximately). It’s a car to be driven with decorum, not at its ragged edge. And if the Chrysler doesn’t have the driving dynamics of a BMW when push comes to loose, ask yourself this: how often do you use the last five percent of your car’s ability?

In two weeks with the European-spec 300, there wasn’t a single day I wanted to be driving anything else (although I did idly wonder if Chrysler is planning a 330hp twin-turbo diesel model…). The biggest issue I have with this car is its unavailability over here as a thrifty alternative to the Hemi-engined models. Should that change, it would correct a lot of misconceptions about diesels while also coccooning drivers and passengers in the stylish 300’s traditionally adept manner. That combo, I think, would be a hit.