Latest Dodge Charger is ready for Europe
'A muscle car designed for a new chapter' gets up to 550 petrol horsepower, Drift Mode, PowerShot and more...
It would be fair to say that the launch of the electric Charger didn’t exactly go as Dodge planned - even with the perfect name for a battery-powered muscle car. Despite Dodge’s best efforts with the Fratzonic exhaust technology, a retro-inspired design and quarter-mile times (helped by 4WD) to make a Hellcat weep, the Daytona just didn’t chime with enthusiasts. Which the enthusiasts probably could have told Dodge from the outset. After all, the Charger EV was too heavy, too techy and too compromised to really appeal.
For the latest generation Charger, Dodge has learnt from the error of its ways (somewhat). While a pair of Daytonas still exist - a 536hp R/T and 670hp Scat Pack - they’re being launched alongside the combustion-engined machines (all underpinned by the STLA Large platform) rather than ahead of them. And we’ll assume those are of more interest than those with a 100.5kWh battery pack and a front electric drive module that can be disconnected for efficiency.
The Charger SIXPACK models (we’ll go with Sixpack from now on) are only as powerful as they were before, but a new turbo straight six without hybrid help feels notable in 2026. It offers up 420hp as a Charger R/T or 550hp as a Scat Pack, meaning 60mph in less than four seconds and a 12.2-second quarter mile.
All-wheel drive is retained, now with rear-drive selectable on the move (as seen in the recent Super Bee). And that’s just the start of the features, with PowerShot providing a 40hp, 10-second overboost, Launch Control, a Drag Mode and a ‘rear-biased propulsion configuration’ otherwise known as a Drift Mode. For those who don’t want to go full-bore two-wheel drive, it offers three different levels of traction control intervention. There’s also the equipment to show off the resulting japes to friends and family: get a Track Package on a Scat Pack (there are options aplenty, of course), and the Drive Experience Recorder by Cosworth is included, filming in 1080p.
It isn’t just gimmicks, either: Dodge claims increased structural rigidity as well as ‘optimised’ weight distribution (though an exact figure isn’t quoted). Moreover, it references ‘a balance between capability, usability and performance precision.’ There are changes inside as well, with a 16-inch dash display, a dedicated drive-mode control and augmented head-up display. You don’t just get ambient lighting in a Dodge Charger, either - there’s 64-colour ‘Attitude Adjustment interior lighting’. Plus space for five and up to 1,064 litres of boot space. There’s the usual array of detections, recognitions and activations, too, but they’re probably as interesting as the electric car.
“For six decades, Charger has represented the very spirit of American muscle. Today, that spirit evolves for a new generation,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. “The next-generation Charger combines advanced engineering, innovative technologies and the freedom to choose how you experience performance. Whether electric or SIXPACK-powered, it delivers the same emotion, the same connection, and the same unmistakable Dodge attitude. This is a muscle car reimagined for the future, without ever losing its soul.” For European cars, the message is still the same, with distribution via KW Automotive’s dealer network. We’re contacting a couple to see whether Europe includes the UK - let’s hope so. Or, if a four-wheel drive, straight six Dodge muscle car just doesn’t seem like cricket, the classifieds are always on hand…
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff