What’s New in the Dodge Challenger: A Detailed Overview

In the last 5 years or so, major automotive brands have expressed intense interest in moving to pure electrics. This dash to make EVs integral to future product plans is evident with the Big Three – i.e., General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. One of the products Stellantis North America unveiled under its “Dare Forward 2030” strategy is the all-new Dodge Charger Daytona.

In many markets, the next-generation Charger will be available in four-door sedan and two-door coupe versions. The outgoing “Charger” branding proceeds with this all-new sedan, with the outgoing “Challenger” being replaced by the all-new Charger coupe. Underpinning both the new cars is Stellantis’ STLA Large platform. The next-generation Dodge Challenger (Charger Coupe) gets petrol and pure-electric powertrain choices.

Variants & Price

In its home market, there are two main variants of the all-new Dodge Charger Daytona. The Charger R/T starts at USD 59,595 (roughly AED 219,000), while the Charger Scat Pack begins at USD 68,195. In UAE Dirhams, that comes to around AED 250,000. Just to be clear, these are the prices of the pure-electric Dodge Charger Daytona coupe.

There’s a second type of the all-new Charger coupe available to buyers in America – it’s called the “Sixpack”. Customers get to choose between two unique variants of the Dodge Charger Sixpack: Standard Output and High Output. While official prices for these variants haven’t been disclosed yet, they could cost between USD 45,000-55,000 in the U.S.

Exterior

It might be brand-new, but the next-generation Dodge Charger will look familiar to those who like muscle cars. This is down to the new Charger’s cool retro design that pays homage to older Dodge cars from around 60 years ago! The muscular fenders, assertive front fascia, broad rear-end, and sloped rear pillars of the all-new Charger come together convincingly.

The rear of the all-new Charger coupe features a fixed spoiler, connected LED dual-ring lighting, and bumper-integrated vents. Located under the bumper of the pure-electric Charger is the Dodge Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. The system consists of two passive radiators plus a speaker setup to mimic V8 noises – technically impressive but still fake.

The 20-inch aluminum wheels are wrapped with Goodyear Eagle Sport tires and feature Brembo high-performance brakes with red brake calipers. A fuel-filler door sits above the left-side rear fender which, in the case of the pure-electric Charger, houses the charging port. Meanwhile, black trim around the windows and the panoramic glass roof help reduce the visual mass of the all-new Charger.

At the front of the all-new Charger are new LED headlamps and connected LED running lights. The geometric shape and blunt styling of this front-end will remind many of the current-gen Challenger – a pleasant throwback. A muscle car must have a ‘Power Bulge’, and the all-new Charger does. Its electric version features a front wing with integrated air curtains, too.

Interior

The all-new Dodge Charger coupe comes with four seats, just like its Challenger predecessor. The sporty bucket-style seats look great, plus they are perforated and have unique but cryptic patterns on them. Dodge offers an all-black interior with red highlights or a two-tone red & black interior with red highlights. Both interiors feature red & white stitching and carbon-fiber accents.

There is premium leatherette on the dash and Nappa leather & suede trim on the seats. Meanwhile, the squircle steering wheel sports paddle shifters. This interior’s design language is pretty modern, boasting a sleek wraparound effect with unique ‘Parametric’ textures. The center stack is angled towards the driver and houses the Charger’s touch-infotainment system plus a slew of HVAC buttons.

The 12.3-inch main display has its own set of capacitive buttons and small rotary dials. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system offers wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto and Amazon Alexa, to name a few apps. While this screen is feature-laden and fast, the small buttons make it difficult to use while driving. The adjacent screen is the 10.3-inch customizable driver’s display.

This display is feature-packed, too. It can present EV-related information in the new Charger Daytona and conventional (non-EV-related) information in the new Charger Sixpack. In the Charger Daytona, the infotainment screen gets ‘EV Pages’. This allows the driver to keep a tab on the car’s range, driving history, and power flow in real time.

Meanwhile, Performance Pages provide real-time information on g-forces, lap times, propulsion details, etc. even in the Charger Sixpack. There’s an Alpine premium sound system, dual-zone climate control, multi-color ambient lighting, a built-in dashcam, heated & cooled seats, etc. Users can use the Dodge Connect smartphone app to remotely monitor and even access some of their car’s connected features.

Engine and performance

The pure-electric Dodge Charger is energized by a 400-volt electric architecture, powering two electric drive modules via a 100.5-kWh battery. Both variants of the all-new Charger Daytona have all-wheel drive. The Charger Daytona R/T normally has 456 hp, though a factory-installed Direct Connection Stage 1 kit takes that up to 496 hp.

Meanwhile, the Charger Daytona Scat Pack comes as standard with a Direct Connection Stage 2 kit. This takes its maximum output up from a healthy 590 hp to 670 electric ponies – there’s 850 Nm of torque, too. Dodge claims this version can accomplish a quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds and 0-60 mph (0-96 kmph) in 3.3 seconds.

Drivers can have more fun using the Charger Daytona’s Drift/Donut mode. There’s Launch Control plus Race Prep mode, which offers Drag Racing and Track Racing options. Dodge claims the pure-electric Charger Daytona has perfect 50-50 weight distribution. Meanwhile, the all-new Charger Sixpack is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six making 420 hp (Standard Output) and 550 hp (High Output).

The Charger Sixpack features all-wheel drive, too. It should go from 0-100 in 5.5 seconds or less, though the top speed is likely 250 kmph. The Dodge Charger Sixpack variants use an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Safety

The all-new Dodge Charger coupe has tire-pressure monitoring, surround-degree cameras, and at least 6 airbags. It also has adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure prevention, collision detection w/ auto-emergency braking, etc.

Conclusion

There’s much to like about the next-generation Dodge Charger coupe. Its styling is iconic, while the interior feels nicer, and there’s plenty of technology as well. Not to mention the fact that it’s quick! Will it feel as enigmatic and visceral as its HEMI V8-powered predecessor? Maybe not.