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Powering up with the Charger
Dodge adds a few new twists to an old legend
Tony Whitney and Tim Dimopoulos
The Charger has an almost legendary place in Dodge history. One of the most respected speedsters of the muscle car era, it will forever be remembered for its role in the famed Steve McQueen movie “Bullitt,” with its memorable chase scene.
Now there’s an all-new rear wheel drive Charger, set to establish a fresh and possibly even more solid reputation for the nameplate. Brawny, powerful road cars have made a comeback in recent times and the Charger has been at the forefront.
The new Charger is a four-door sedan, though it has almost coupe-like looks. The distinctive appearance with a swept-back roofline emphasizes its substantial power. The grille and headlights have a purposeful “menacing” look.
This is a roomy automobile, thanks to a lengthy wheelbase, with lots of room both front and back, and excellent luggage space. It’s very practical for business use; even large adults won’t complain about sitting in the back. Headroom is good too, not always the case when stylists get a little too enthusiastic with swoopy designs.
Charger power for our test car came from a 3.5-litre V-6, which is the unit most fleets would likely choose. It’s a responsive powerplant with a refined feel to it. Also available is a big Hemi V-8, 5.7-litre engine delivering a solid 340-horsepower, which endows the car with some serious performance. The engine has a healthy note to it, though it won’t bother driver and passengers at all. The Hemi is equipped with a “displacement on demand” system, which shuts down half the cylinders when they’re not needed, such as on a steady freeway cruise.
For those looking for maximum power at a very reasonable price, the Hemi is a good choice. We drove a Hemi from Montreal to Toronto on less than 3/4 of a tank of gas. Fuel economy for the 3.5-litre is given as 13.9-litres/100 km in the city and 8.8-litres/100 km on the highway. The car runs happily on regular unleaded gas.
For such a large car, the Charger is surprisingly nimble and can be driven quickly on winding roads. There was possibly some Mercedes influence here too, because large models from that automaker handle well when the going gets twisty. Handling like this is just as useful in heavy traffic as it is on a country road. The steering is very accurate. With the available R/T package, the Charger is even nimbler. Keeping all this performance in check are very powerful and capable brakes—four-wheel discs with ABS.
Safety-related equipment on our test Charger (some of which was optional) included traction and stability control, side curtain air bags and even adjustable pedals.
While the cockpit and instrumentation are fairly simple and unadorned, they are highly functional. The top curve of the dash is especially attractive and the large dials are easy to scan.
There’s not a particularly luxurious feel to the interior, but everything fits very well and materials are well chosen and of high quality. We thought the cruise control stalk a little fiddly to operate. It seems to have been inherited from Mercedes-Benz. Other than that, the ergonomics are excellent.
Since this is a rear wheel drive vehicle, we judged that snow tires were essential equipment in snowbelt regions. Once fitted with good snow tires, the Charger’s standard traction and stability control help keep everything well under control.
Given this car’s power and handling, it comes at a very reasonable price. A very basic Charger (built in Brampton, Ont. by the way) costs $27,495, though various options can boost this a little. Available “extras” include a performance package (a reasonable $1,000), an electronics convenience group, various sound system upgrades and a rear seat video unit.
One extra we judge essential (and it costs only $300) is the Uconnect Bluetooth mobile phone system. For fleet users, this is a “must have” and it worked flawlessly on our test car. All you have to do is press one button and call out the number you want.
There’s a basic Charger with a 2.7-litre V-6. The top model is the Charger SRT8 (pictured) with a 6.1-litre 425-horsepower Hemi and a zero to 100 km/h time in the 5.5-second range. fm
Tony Whitney is a Vancouver-based automotive expert. Tim Dimopoulos is publisher of Purchasing b2b.
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