We’ve known it was coming for a while, but the Dodge Challenger and Charger as we know them are dead — not dead for good, though. Dodge just unveiled the brand new 2024 Charger Daytona EV, which is designed for the post-V8 age as both a coupe and sedan with some seriously powerful electric motors. But if you’re still not sold on going all-electric, don’t worry. The new Dodge Charger will also be offered with Stellantis’ Hurricane twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 in two output levels alongside the electric versions, and neither one is going to be anything remotely approaching slow.
Dodge is calling the gas-powered Chargers the Sixpack, while the EVs are called Charger Daytona. In terms of styling differences, the internal-combustion Chargers have additional intakes in the front bumper and a bulging hood with an air vent, instead of the EV’s cool R-Wing nose pass-through. Only one photo of the gas Chargers has been released so far, but expect them to also get a tweaked rear diffuser with exhaust tips.
If you opt for the standard output version, the new six-cylinder Charger will make 420 horsepower, a heck of a lot more than the 300-ish horsepower that you got in the old V6 Charger. That’s also more than the 370 hp from the Hemi V8 used in the old Charger R/T, and while it’s a whole lot less than what you could get from the old Charger Hellcat, we’re going to guess you’ll spend a lot less on tires, so it’s certainly not the end of the world.
Buyers who want a gas-powered Charger but don’t think they’ll be content with “only” 420 hp will also have the option of stepping up to the high-output version. It’ll still be powered by the same twin-turbo engine, but output has been pumped up to 550 hp, a big step up from the 485-hp Hemi in the outgoing Charger Scat Pack. And again, while that’s still short of what the old Hellcats used to make, it should be more than enough to enjoy a good old-fashioned hard launch from stoplight to telephone pole. Both versions of the Charger Sixpack will come only with all-wheel drive, hopefully lessening the potential number of viral Charger-based accidents.
Unfortunately for the folks who are seriously interested in buying a new gas-powered Charger, that’s about all the information we have right now. Understandably, Dodge is more focused on the electric versions of the new Charger, so we’ll have to wait to learn more about the six-cylinder models, like torque figures, transmission details, weight and other performance specs. That said, we shouldn’t have to wait too long, as Dodge says production of the high-output Charger two-door and the standard-output Charger four-door will begin in early 2025, a few months after the EV enters production.
