The final aircraft in the 177 line was the retractable-gear 177RG Cardinal RG, which Cessna began producing in 1971 as a direct competitor to the Piper PA-28-200R Cherokee Arrow and Beechcraft Sierra. The RG had a 150 kW engine to offset the 136 kg increase in maximum weight, much of which was from the electrically-powered hydraulic gear mechanism. The additional power and cleaner lines of the 177RG resulted in a cruise speed of 146 knots, 22 knots faster than the 177B. 1,543 177RG's were delivered including those built in France by Reims, as the Reims F177RG.