There’s a very good chance that Dodge shoves a V-8 back into the engine bay of the Charger. The brand’s efforts to make the electric Daytona the ultimate offering haven’t resonated with buyers, and now that Stellantis has a new CEO, Dodge and the other American brands have a bit more freedom to decide their fates.
It’s unclear if Dodge follows Ram in reviving the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, or if muscle car maker has other ideas. Earlier this year, when Dodge CEO Matt McAlear was asked during a press conference whether a Hellcat engine would fit in the new Charger, he said, “Don't be surprised if it would fit."
While Dodge still hasn’t officially confirmed a V-8 Charger, there have been plenty of hints surrounding the engine’s return. When Ram announced the Hemi-powered 1500, brand CEO Tim Kuniskis said he wanted to return to the NASCAR Cup series, but Ram doesn’t have a car it can campaign. Dodge does, though.
There’s a lot we don’t know about a V-8-powered Charger, but it seems likely one is in the works. What form it may take remains a mystery, but here’s everything we know about the Hemi Charger so far.
What Will Dodge Call It?
With the new generation Charger, Dodge has already reserved the Scat Pack and R/T nameplate for the six-cylinder model, and it calls the EV the Daytona. If Dodge does decide to put the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 into the car, it could very well end up being the least powerful version of the car, believe it or not. That said, the SXT name—the previous generation's entry-level trim—doesn’t really fit here.
Dodge has used a variety of trims over the model’s lifetime, and maybe we’ll see SRT8 or Super Bee return, although the latter might be too special for a plain-Jane V-8 offering. The Banshee name is newly available, now that Dodge has canceled its ultimate EV, but that seems unlikely. Really, though, what fans want to see is the Hellcat name return. We wouldn’t be shocked if it does.
What Will It Look Like?
The V-8-powered Charger will likely adopt the front-end styling of the Charger Sixpack, which features a conventional grille and hood compared to the Daytona’s aerodynamic R-Wing setup. Our rendering shows the coupe with a unique bumper built for maximizing cooling.
At the rear, it features a sizeable diffuser, a unique rear bumper, and two huge, round tailpipes;it all looks like an extreme version of something you’d see on an SRT model. Dodge wouldn’t have to do much to differentiate the V-8 Charger from the Sixpack or Daytona.
What Will Power It?
While McAlear said a Hellcat engine would fit, which is a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, it’s likely not ready for the new Charger just yet. When Stellantis rehired Tim Kuniskis to re-helm Ram, he got to work on reviving the 5.7-liter V-8 for the truck brand.
The automaker never designed the Hemi engine for Stellantis’ STLA Large platform, so Kuniskis hired former SRT chief engineer Daryl Smith to lead the team to accomplish that task. At the time, Kuniskis said hiring Smith “means nothing” or “everything.”
So, if Dodge is going to slip a V-8 back into the Charger, the 5.7-liter engine seems like the likeliest choice. It’s already compatible with the platform, but if it is the same engine, it’ll produce 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque out of the box
The base Charger R/T Sixpack makes 420 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbocharged inline-six engine. The high-output version produces 550 hp, and the EV delivers up to 670 hp. If/when the V-8 returns, we’d expect a high-output version of that engine, too.
How Much Will It Cost?
The Dodge Charger Sixpack R/T starts at $51,990 for the coupe. If the Ram’s Hemi upgrade is any indication, the 5.7-liter V-8 could cost an extra $1,200, but Dodge might limit the optional engine’s availability to specific, costlier trims. The four-door Charger Sixpack R/T has a $53,990 starting price.
Who knows, maybe Dodge will make the V-8 the base offering, which would be a wild turn of events.
When Will It Debut?
Dodge hasn’t even confirmed a new V-8 Charger, so it may never even materialize.But that seems doubtful. When McAlear said we shouldn’t be surprised if the Hellcat engine fits, he added, “It’s no secret that we're absolutely flexing into ICE production right now,” which we imagine means we’ll eventually see a V-8.
That might include hotter SRT models eventually, but maybe we’ll see that new Hurricane 4 Turbo in the Charger, too. Combustion engines come in all shapes and sizes, after all, and Stellantis has plenty of new ones on the way.
