I'm not afraid of change. It's the way of the world, and it's the only way to keep growing and keep up with the times. But change too much, and you forget what made you you, what made you who you are and what makes you special. Then again maybe that's what you wanted, you don't have to hold onto what you've always been if you think this new version of you is better. That's the bet Dodge has taken with the latest 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack, ditching the fan-favourite V8 in favour of a more eco-friendly and powerful turbocharged six. Does this literal change of heart work for the Charger?
Let's get right to it.
Powertrain
Dodge has ditched the Hemi (...but, for how long?) and moved to their new twin-turbocharged “Hurricane” straight-six engine. That takes guts, so I'll give credit for that. The bet here is that Charger (and Challenger) folk care more about power than how the power is made, and to that end, the new powerplant delivers. You lose two cylinders, but gain two turbochargers in their place, with the cylinders being aligned in a very european straight line vs a "V" engine we're more used to.
Displacement is also cut by more than half, from the 6.4 litres of the Hemi V8 to 3.0 litres. Sounds like a lot of losing, until you hear the power figures. The new engine makes 550 horsepower and 531 lb ft of torque, which is 65 more horsepower and 55 more lb-ft of torque compared to the big Hemi V8. Torque is also available much lower in the RPM range, with 90% of it coming in at just 2,500 RPM and sticking around until 6,000. This new heart beats rather well, then doesn't it?
On paper, yes. In practice perhaps not so much. What we've all lost is the rambunctious personality of the Hemi V8. The new turbo-6 sounds like every other turbo-6, except louder. The old Hemi had a personality all its own, which hasn't carried over to the new engine.
That's not to say the powerplant is bad, because that's far from it. It's a fantastically smooth engine with great power delivery, and will genuinely surprise you with how much grunt it has, at virtually any RPM and in virtually any gear of the ZF8 transmission. The fact that they moved to an inline six is an interesting choice, one that I commend, as inline engines are inherently harder to package but are generally smoother than V engines, and it shows here.
Driving impressions
Power and power delivery isn't the issue here, but what it has to lug around is. The new Charger weighs in around 4,900 lbs, a staggering 500 ish more pounds than the last-gen V8. Blame the EV here. No, this isn't an EV, but it's built on the same platform as the Charger Daytona EV, so you're stuck with all the extra chassis bracing and space required to hold a big-ass battery in the EV version. It's a real unfortunate situation, because the powertrain is great.
The weight numbs everything down. The steering feels big and heavy, and to add to it you sit higher up than you'd like because of the empty space for a battery below. It doesn't lend to a sporty feel. The AWD is a welcome addition from a ‘good car' perspective, but doesn't suit the last-gen Charger’s flawed but charming character. I keep thinking that if this was badged (and styled) as a four door Chrysler 300 I’d have no quips about it, because it makes for a great long distance cruiser.
tech-forward interior
It is a well appointed cabin with loads of space both front and back. You can seat grown adults in the back of this coupe, and there was so much room I could pretty much crawl into the back to buckle my toddler into his seat. It’s even a sport-back now, with a shallow but long trunk good for an impressive 628 L of storage (1,059L with the seats folded).
The ambient lighting is bright and unique with a strong reflective grow, even visible mid day against the faux carbon-looking accents. The interior is a sea of black, with some red stitching adding a bit of contrast. Some of the plastic does feel cheap, and the pistol grip shifter doesn't feel particularly great, but the cabin still falls within a respectable B+ grade in my opinion.
The 12 and 16-inch screens are sharp and well integrated into the cabin, but the UX design is pretty basic and can be slow at times. The Alpine PRO sound system is rather elite, with 18 speakers, including a 10-inch subwoofer. It doesn't have the fidelity of a Bowers & Wilkins or AKG system, but it's close and has enough (clean!) bass to rattle your teeth. It's fun.
Active safety features are standard on the Charger, and you can also get some nifty features like a 360 degree camera with ultrasonic curb sensors, so you don't rash your 20” wheels. There's also an onboard data logger for your track day adventures included in this top-spec Charger.
MONEY & WRAP IT UP
Good car, bad Charger - that's all I keep thinking about this loaded $84,170 Charger Sixpack Scat-Pack Plus. It's actually the same thing I thought about the Charger Daytona EV I drove last year. These aren't bad cars, they're actually pretty good at doing car things. Powerful, spacious, attractive, kinda fun, and decently efficient (never thought I'd see the day when I beat the official fuel economy numbers in a charger).
They just don't feel like Chargers. If you were to blindfold me and put me in this 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack, I would never guess it was one, but I'd likely comment on it being a nice, comfortable powerful highway cruiser. But maybe that's not a bad thing? If Dodge is looking to appeal to a new demographic of buyers while tugging at long-standing fans’ heartstrings with a fantastic evolutionary design, they've accomplished that much.