Last year was a milestone of sorts here at Landmark Dodge of Morrow, as we all witnessed the last Dodge Charger powered by a HEMI V8 roll off the production line. There is a thrilling next-generation model in the works, which was officially previewed 2 years ago with the Charger Daytona SRT EV concept. Electric power will certainly be an integral part of the mix, with a lurking question of whether Dodge will still offer purists a gas-powered option.
At this point, a good deal of the available information is the typical blend of rumors and “official details”, but there’s enough of a foundation to make a few concrete assumptions about the straight-line-blasting 2025 Charger. An electric powertrain is confirmed, with an 800-volt “Banshee” version showing up stomping its hooves and closely nudging the 900-horsepower mark. After the August 2022 debut, Dodge had eagerly approached SEMA with a red version of the concept and broke the news that there could be 9 potential engine options for the production model.
The base trim is looking like it will arrive at the checkered flags with 455 horsepower and a wide assortment of other power levels below the banshee that find their way up to 670 horsepower. These are still on the drawing board as “potential” power outputs, and there may be a few more pedestrian charger models in the works that aren't as wholeheartedly performance focused. There could very well be a large selection of other models beyond just the EV powertrain, which has immediately been a bit reassuring to those who understandably have their hearts set on a traditional combustion engine’s might.
Initial statements by Dodge had claimed that this next-generation Charger would be electric-only, but rumors began circulating that the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline 6 may join the party. This fitting option currently is found (and loved!) in Ram and Jeep vehicles and would offer excited buyers a scorchingly-inviting 500-horsepower option. This also provides a fitting and squared-off competitor to face the V8 currently residing under the rivaling Ford Mustang hood. Here it needs to be remembered that the Charger used to be a strictly two-door affair, and the Charger Daytona SRT EV Concept appears to return to this format.
During the debut, it was hinted that the finished product is going to live and breathe much like the concept! As rumors of old-school internal combustion power spread, it seems that the most likely scenario would be a restyled version to accompany the fully electrified model. Fitting a long and burly engine beneath the concepts hood and vented nose could be quite challenging, which leads experts to think that the design may be a liftback. The new Charger will have two new badges on its exterior, commemorating a longstanding legacy of segment-leading performance.
Dodge had made quite a stir at the Charger Daytona SRT EV’s debut with its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust sound. The noise originates from a system that pushes performance sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber situated directly at the rear of the vehicle. When this model was first proposed, the sound was a bit more futuristic, and CEO Tim Kiniskis mentioned that it was still a work in progress. During SEMA, the red concept had a much deeper tone, that resembled a great deal more of what is expected from a menacing Hellcat V8. Even though so many rumors are still not certain, we are thrilled to usher in the standard fare of variety regarding the Charger, and its always-up-for-a-challenge bravado.
