Car makers tried years ago to improve fuel economy by shutting down cylinders under lighter loads, but were unsuccessful, according to Edmunds.com editor-in-chief Kurt Brauer. “It became very obvious, when a driver was trying to maintain smooth throttle inputs, that there wouldn’t be enough power, then it would jump up.”

As implemented in the 300, the feature worked very well, according to Brauer. “You couldn’t tell how many cylinders were operating at a given time.” He adds that the 300 is among the first vehicles in the modern automotive world to get displacement-on-demand working properly, and predicts that the feature will become increasingly popular.

“Most significant” status is bestowed each year on a vehicle that, according to the editors, significantly changes the rules of a given segment, creates a new niche or redefines an automaker's image.