Gas is back! Or, at least it is for those rowdy Dodge Brothers. After launching its new generation Charger as an electric car, Dodge is bringing internal combustion back to the table. That power plant comes in the form of a three-liter Hurricane inline-six. But what is the new Charger like to drive? Will an inline-six-powered Charger be any good? I’m in Vermont to find out, and I want to ask you what you would like to know about it.
Admittedly, driving a Dodge Charger and the Dodge Challenger have been on my bucket list ever since I learned more about modern Mopar muscle through the iconic Top Gear “Muscle Car Challenge” special. Yes, that’s the one where the three doofuses drove across America in a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a Cadillac CTS-V, and a Dodge Challenger SRT8. I thought Dodge nailed the modern retro look way better than the Ford Mustang, and it was so awesome that Dodge offered that muscle with four doors, too.
Now, the Challenger is gone, and the Charger has entered a new generation. The neo-retro vibes are still there, and now the Challenger can be had with two doors or four doors. The new Charger did have a bit of a bumpy start when it hit the road in 2024. The first ones in the hands of the public were of the Daytona flavor, which meant that they were all-electric. The Daytona was plenty quirky, with its clever front wing and its silly Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust sound system that makes the EV as loud as an old Hellcat.
That EV launched to mixed reviews, and some Dodge fans felt saddened by the fact that the brand that once traded in all things V8 threw away internal combustion for its flagship muscle car. Whereas a Toyota RAV4 might be America’s default car, the Charger has long been the kind of car for people who worship at the altar of the Hemi V8 and live their lives a drag at a time. Dodge has long had the weirdly charming character of solving problems with horsepower, and doing so for rather accessible prices.
For those folks, the Charger Sixpack now exists. Dodge got the internal combustion gang back together for another generation of burnouts, donuts, exhaust noise, and hooliganism. Only this time, there isn’t a Hemi V8 under the hood, but a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six. You can get it with 420 thoroughbreds in the stable in the Sixpack R/T, or with 550 horses just begging to be set loose in the Scat Pack.
I’ve already seen some of these out in the wild, but I have not driven one yet. Dodge flew me out to Stowe, Vermont, so I could experience the Hurricane through some spectacular mountains. This is my first time ever in Vermont, and I already can’t stop laughing about how much people really want me to taste some syrup while I’m out here.
I’ve also been weirded out by the fact that I’m seeing so many Vermont license plates, but you know, actually in Vermont and not on one of my cars.
Anyway, the new straight-six Scat Pack, which hits 60 mph in about 3.9 seconds largely thanks to standard all-wheel drive, is faster than the older, more powerful V8 Scat Pack. But fear not, burnout fans, because Dodge lets you kill power to the front axle and lock only the front brakes so you can kill tires to your heart’s and budget’s content.
Now, the Sixpack Scat Pack has been out long enough that it has been reviewed by everyone from Throttle House to MotorWeek. But these are the first drives of the R/T and four-door. I see myself as a fresh set of eyes here. I have not driven the old Chargers, and I’m not a card-carrying member of the “Brotherhood of Muscle.” However, I do like fast cars, I do like fun cars, and I adore cars that figure out creative ways to make their drivers smile.
I already dig the style, the interior space, and the interior design of the new Chargers. So, now it’s time to see if the drive matches the looks.
For the next day, I will have access to the 420-horsepower Dodge Charger Sixpack R/T, the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack, a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak AWD, and a Dodge Charger Daytona. Apparently, I’m going to get to drive these big ol’ Dodges like most owners probably will. [Ed note: I assume this means “As if stolen.” – Pete]
What do you want to know about them?
How comfortable is it to sleep in? This should be part of all your reviews Mercedes. And, as tested at our local auto show, the hatch has plenty of space for comfortable sleeping.
how many charge points does it have for vape pens? how well does it steer into the crowd leaving a car meet?
How long are the doors on the 2 door, and are they bigger than some truck tailgates?
Does the RT sound like anything? I feel like 420 horsepower is more than enough for me but I’m worried that they’ve nerfed the aural experience of the lesser trim. The Scat Pack sounds…fine, but not great, and it comes standard with a valved exhaust. The S/O Hurricane is not exactly well known for sounding good either…
Also the gas mileage on these things…woof. Listen, I get that they’re real porkers and that maybe 1/1,000 potential Charger buyers care about gas mileage but the fact that these are barely better than the V8s is…impressive, but not in a good way. The RT is rated at a whopping 20 combined and I think the Scat Pack is 19.
…isn’t one of the big selling points of online sixes efficiency? Stellantis uh….finds a way
With DI vs MPFI, I would think the Hurricane would show a notable improvement in mileage. Maybe it’s just that the Charger is so heavy and unimpressive aerodynamically that the Hurricane has to run under a higher load more often, negating the efficiency advantage? If you drove like a proverbial granny or compared city to city mileage with lots of idling, maybe it would stand out as better, but not many of the former buying these and city mileage will be garbage either way.
How it compares to the Tesla EV Fillerup?
How many pieces of luggage can you fit in the trunk? From what I saw in L.A Autoshow, the hatch could make this a quite practical, comfy vehicle
How long til I see an Autopian article titled “You can get a Charger R/T for $10,000 off MSRP and it’s not a fluke”?
More seriously, I’m curious on the power delivery. I assume it’s decently stout from low RPM. I could just read a different review of the Hurricane I6 but eh, I can wait.