One might think that replacing a car last overhauled more than a decade ago would be an easy task. Yet for Dodge engineers, the new Charger Sixpack represents anything but simple work. The car it replaces earned the loyalty of muscle car fans across the map, and even in its twilight years, it held its own at the dealership despite fierce competitionDodge knew that change had to come at some point, and in the face of regulation, a wave of EV excitement, and what felt like ever-more strict fuel economy standards, the brand abandoned the V8, completely changed the chassis, and went in a very bold new direction with the electric Daytona.That experiment didn’t land quite as successfully as hoped, but Dodge wasn’t without a contingency plan: a combustion-powered version waiting in the wings.The new engine is a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six. It’s the same powertrain found in other Stellantis products like the Ram 1500 RHO and the Jeep Wagoneer. In the Charger Scat Pack it makes 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. That’s special because it’s more than any other vehicle in the family. Notably, there will be a lower-powered base model early next year.Regardless, Mopar fans are going to wonder if this engine can be anything close to as moving, both emotionally and literally, as the outgoing Hemi V8. Sometimes the bold fair well. Sometimes they don’t. To find out if the Sixpack can carry the candle of the Charger or if it’s going to be a major detractor from the brand, we went to test it. And we didn’t go just anywhere. We went to Knoxville, Tennessee, where we had access to a donut and drift course, plenty of highway and urban areas, and, of course, the Tail of the Dragon. The 11-mile 318-corner section of US 129 highlighted the highs and lows of this car. Everywhere else showed us everything in between. Let’s get into it. Retro Styling Meets FuturePictures and even videos of the new Charger don’t portray just how big this beast is. The old Charger sedan was 198 inches (5,040 mm) long. This two-door car is 206.6 inches (5,247 mm) long. In fact, that’s longer than a three-row BMW X7 SUV! The outgoing Charger was almost five full inches narrower than the new one, but somehow, they share an almost identical wheelbase (120 in vs 121 in). That said, it doesn’t even look all that gigantic in person. The entire car manages to blend old-school retro vibes with new, fresher styling. The front carries a hint of the current Mustang, while the rear recalls some Nissan GTR traits. More: New Charger SIXPACK Is America’s Most Powerful Sedan Under $60,000None of it feels derivative. Instead, it looks like Dodge decided to modernize its playbook without abandoning the muscular stance. Based on our comments section, it hasn’t won over everybody just yet, but give it time. Designs like this tend to grow on the public as they show up on the road more and more. This reminds me of cars like the third-generation Subaru WRX STi that slowly but surely became popular after an initially icy reception. Dodge also does a nice job of adding its own touches to remind buyers of what they’re in. The “Sixpack” wordmark appears in the hood. On the Scat Pack, you’ll find the Rumble Bee on the fenders. The lighting really throws it back to the 60s and early 70s with a wide light bar in front and almost hidden headlights. Fratzog logos sit at the front and rear of the car for just a little extra nostalgia. It’s a solid package and one that we expect to slowly win over buyers. Interior Buyers of the previous Charger generation are probably going to love the new one. It takes much of what was good about that older car and brings it into modernity. In the Scat Pack, the dashboard stretches forward with a clean, futuristic design that is softened by adjustable ambient lighting spilling across the dash and into the door cards. Drivers can adjust this color via the infotainment system. In our test car, with the Carbon package, the light beautifully reflects off the carbon fiber and gives the entire vehicle a very high-class, high-performance vibe. Since the lighting blends into the door cards, it also helps occupants see the door handles and controls. Speaking of door handles, the entire door card features what seems like one giant continuous door handle from the inside. Getting out requires the press of an electric button, and should that fail, there’s a manual release down near the footwell on the door card. The switchgear looks and feels good to use. That’s especially noteworthy because it’s a mix of different touch surfaces. On the steering wheel, you get flat black plastic that does feel a bit cheap perhaps, but it provides really positive feedback under one’s finger. The HVAC controls are mostly incorporated into a single touch-sensitive panel below the infotainment system. They’re not individual buttons, so that’s a drawback, but they also produce a haptic response when pressed so you know you’ve done ‘something.’ The infotainment screen itself gets persistent touch controls for seat heating and ventilation, steering wheel heat, mute, and one more to turn the screen on and off. There are two knobs as well that handle volume and tune/scroll. Speaking of the infotainment package, the entire suite is quite nice. It runs Uconnect5 so it’s snappy, easy to navigate, and very configurable. One can set up the digital dash however they’d like and add favorite apps like Race Pages, Performance Pages, or anything else to the main Apps tab. As for the seats, they’re comfortable, supportive, and decently bolstered. We’d love a bit more lateral bolstering, but let’s face it, very few folks will be pushing this on a track where it’s most noticeable. At six foot six, I had no problem getting situated in either row. The only annoyance was the memory setting buttons on the driver’s side door. They lined up exactly where my left knee likes to rest in the car, so I kept accidentally engaging them. Headroom is an issue for taller folks in the rear, but aside from that, it’s tough to complain given that this is a two-door car in this form. On top of that, the way the front seat moves out of the way and back into position is great. A simple tug on a strap on the upper back portion of the front seat moves it forward or back into position automatically. Finally, let’s talk about cargo space because it’s great and turns what is otherwise just a fun muscle car into a genuinely practical everyday driver. Dodge says that there is 37.4 cubic feet of storage space behind the front seats with the rears folded down. For reference, that’s double what you’ll get in a new Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The huge liftback is a bonus for anyone trying to load large items. Drive Impressions The Hurricane three-liter twin-turbo inline-six is the core of this car. Power delivery is smooth, but only once the throttle wakes up. Off the line, there is a dead zone from zero to about fifteen percent pedal that Dodge needs to clean up. It could be turbo lag related, and it could be gearbox logic related. Either way, a software update could fix the issue entirely. The exhaust raises more questions. At full load, it sounds fine, but during light acceleration, it produces a gravel-like resonance that genuinely resembles mechanical trouble. More than once, it sounded to me, a former repair shop manager and current engine serial killer, like rod knock, which is not ideal for customer confidence. It’s plausible that, to the untrained ear, it’ll become something that fans enjoy and begin to associate with the car. Only time will tell. Read: Dodge Charger Looks Sweet As An SRT HellcatSteering accuracy is good, though feedback becomes muted when pushed hard. The Brembo brakes are strong with occasional grabby moments. Paddle response is acceptable, but a manual option remains the obvious missing piece. Around the drift and donut course, the car was easy to rotate and predictable once loaded. During our time on Trail of the Dragon, the car was genuinely impressive if not a bit overboard for the course. 550 horsepower is no joke, and on such a twisty road, it’s somewhat difficult to use it to the full. That said, it made one thing abundantly clear: the Charger drives smaller than it is. Despite tight lanes and steep drops, the drive was drama-free. Credit Dodge’s engineering team for providing good steering feedback and a suspension that can truly make this big girl dance around turns. Dodge quotes a 0–60 mph (97 km/h) time of 3.9 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 12.2 seconds, making it quicker than the older Challenger R/T Scat Pack. Our onboard readings produced consistent fours on unprepped asphalt and one three point six on a mild downhill grade. Both were achieved via Launch Control mode. That mode is complemented by Line Lock and an RWD mode that sends all of the power to the rear wheels only for smoking burnouts or drifts. Real performance is clearly strong and competitive for the segment.Around town, we’re happy to say that this car settles down and acts civilised. It honestly feels very European in that speed seems much slower than it actually is. 70 mph feels more like 40, 50 feels more like 30, and so on. That’s not something I could say of the old Charger. The ride is supple, planted, and stable. That’s true whether you’re managing hairpins or highways. High speed or low speed, the Charger feels confidence-inspiring and comfortable. Competition The BMW M440 along with the M340 remain the reference point for fast coupes and sedans at this price. The Charger can outrun it in a straight line, but the BMW is likely the more composed handler with a more polished powertrain. Dodge counters with space character and unique style, but value pressure becomes real once the Sixpack climbs toward seventy thousand dollars. The base Scat Pack configuration, however, feels like a genuine sweet spot, delivering strong performance at a more approachable price.We’d be remiss without also mentioning that the BMW community is deeply familiar with tuning. Sure, it might void a warranty, but if that warranty doesn’t exist anyway, tuning a car can unlock a lot of power without too much risk. If the community that builds up around the Hurricane is anything close to the one BMW has around its B58 and S58 engines, and it manages to remain reliable, this will go down as a legendary Charger. It’s also worth noting that if speed is all a buyer cares about, the Tesla Model 3 Performance is the only choice in this general price range and below. It starts at $54,990; buyers don’t have to worry about markups, it’s far more nimble, and it’ll absolutely wreck the Charger Sixpack in a drag race and around a race track.Final ThoughtsThe Dodge Charger Sixpack is not just a replacement for the V8 era. It is the beginning of a new branch of American performance built on a highly capable inline six. It is fast, spacious, modern, and genuinely fun to drive. Some rough edges remain, but the fundamentals are strong. Dodge keeps saying they are just getting started, and the Sixpack makes that believable. This is a new kind of Charger yet worthy of the name.
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