New Dodge Charger goes EV, ditches V8 for 6cyl turbo-petrol

The eighth-generation Dodge Charger has been unveiled, dropping its long-running Hemi V8 engine for a choice of straight-six or battery-electric power.

1. Charger Daytona gets 3.0-litre engine making either 426hp or 558hp
2. Range-topping Challenger EV Scat pack gets 639hp and 850Nm
3. There is potential for electric variants with up to 748hp

New Dodge Charger petrol engine details

The new Charger Daytona’s combustion offering is the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre Hurricane straight six from the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Dubbed the Sixpack, it sends 426hp (‘standard output’) or 558hp (‘high output’) through all four wheels.

Dodge has yet to provide detailed performance statistics for the Sixpack muscle cars. What the American brand has elaborated on, however, is the potential of the Charger Daytona EV.

New Dodge Charger EV details

The range-topping Scat Pack features dual permanent-magnet synchronous motors with silicon-carbide inverters, producing a combined 639hp and 850Nm as standard. Using the Powershot – a 15sec overboost mode whose name references the traditional shot of nitrous oxide in drag racers – output is boosted to 679hp – nearly as much as in the wild 717hp V8 Charger Hellcat.

This enables the Scat Pack to dispatch the 0-96kph sprint in 3.3sec, despite weighing all of 2,648kg. Covering a quarter-mile is said to take 11.5sec and top speed is rated at 216kph.

For reference, the Tesla Model S Plaid electric sedan’s tri-motor set-up produces 1034hp, giving it a 0-96kph time of 2.4sec and a claimed quarter-mile time of 9.2sec.

Scat Pack cars can optionally be equipped with the Track Pack, which aims to boost cornering performance. The springs are stiffened and the monotube dampers are swapped for adaptive units, while the disc brakes are swapped for Brembo units with a diameter of 410mm. It also gains a staggered tyre set-up, wearing Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 rubber that measures 305mm wide up front and 325mm wide at the rear.

In the entry-level Charger Daytona R/T, the dual-motor system’s outputs are reduced to 462hp (503hp using Powershot) and 548Nm. It hits 96kph from a standstill in 4.7sec and completes the quarter-mile sprint in 13.1sec. Its top speed is 220kph – slightly greater than that quoted for the shorter-geared Scat Pack.

The R/T also receives slightly smaller brakes (354mm in diameter), softer springs, dampers tuned for comfort and 18-inch alloys, rather than the 20-inch wheels worn by the Scat Pack.

Electric variants of the Charger Daytona feature a 400V electrical architecture and a 100.5kWh (93.9kWh usable) battery pack. This provides a range of 510km between charges in the R/T, according to the US’s EPA test cycle (which is tougher than the WLTP cycle used in Europe). The more powerful Scat Pack yields 418km.

The battery can be charged at rates of up to 183kW, allowing for a 20-80 percent charge in 27 minutes. Dodge said the battery can discharge energy at rates up to 550kW – more than the 500kW maximum drawn by the Scat Pack’s two motors. This hints at the potential for electric variants with up to 748hp at a later time.

Indeed, parent company Stellantis previously said the STLA Large platform underpinning the Charger Daytona will eventually allow for 0-96kph times of 2.0sec. It referenced the V8 Hellcat as the benchmark for power outputs, in a further implication that the model could survive the shift to electric power.

The EVs receive a Fratzonic exterior sound generator, like that featured on the Abarth 500e, which is said to make them as noisy as the Hellcat.

New Dodge Charger design

The combustion and electric Charger Daytonas are otherwise indistinguishable from one another. They will be offered in two-door and four-door forms, with electric two-door cars hitting US roads before the end of 2024.

Visually, the Mk8 Charger is clearly inspired by the legendary Mk2, with a rakish roofline and headlights neatly integrated into a blacked-out front grille. In a further reference to Dodge’s heritage, the grille wears the triangular ‘Fratzog’ logo last used on one of the brand’s cars in 1976.

At the rear, the new car retains the Mk7’s signature LED lightbar but with a rectangular design also reminiscent of the smaller Dodge Challenger.

New Dodge Charger interior

Inside, the Charger Daytona is offered with the choice of a 10.25-inch or 16.0-inch digital instrument display, flanked by a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that’s angled toward the driver. It seats five people, with a 60:40 split rear bench that is able to fold down to boost luggage capacity.

Pricing has yet to be announced for the US. Stellantis currently has no plans for a UK launch, a company spokesperson told our sister publication Autocar UK, and there is no word on the new Dodge Charger being brought to India.

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