Let’s have a nice round of applause for our pals at Chrysler Corporation. Sergio and his amici in both Italy and Detroit have brought the carmaker back from the abyss, and their efforts are paying off in the marketplace. And as we have experienced, in the products, as well.

Automotive News reports Chrysler nailed a 27-percent sales increase for the month of September, and improved Chrysler and Dodge models have been scoring better in Consumer Reports road tests. Owners have also weighed in, consistently putting the Dodge Challenger among the most satisfying cars to own in our annual reader survey.

That’s all good, but it’s not the reason I’m suggesting we show the Pentastar gang a little love. This is all about windows. And I’m not talking Microsoft.

My wife and I just spent a weekend with our Chrysler 300C test car, taking a New England road trip to attend a wedding. While I was favorably impressed with the recently freshened Chrysler all around, what really struck me was one of the more subtle changes. You can see out of it better than before.

Yes, friends, Chrysler designers have bucked current styling trends that seem to call for less glass area with every model update; they actually increased the size of the windows in the 300C. A press release says visibility is up by 15 percent. Mind you, that doesn’t work out to much in the real world, and our engineers found the Chrysler is now solidly mid-pack among sedans for visibility. Still, an improvement is an improvement. Coupled with the optional panoramic sunroof in our test car, the additional glass makes for a more pleasant, airier cabin, and one that makes it easier to dodge vehicles, trees, pedestrians, and other obstacles best avoided for a happy and enjoyable motoring experience.

Backup cameras, forward and reversing proximity warning systems, and lane change warnings, all of which our 300C is equipped with, are all well and good. But let’s not forget the importance and safety benefits of simply being able to see what’s around you.

So stand up and take a bow, Chrysler. Here’s to a 15-percent move in the right direction.

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