he Charger’s bad-boy attitude, muscular
styling, and available Hemi V-8 power challenge the family-sedan status
quo. The 292-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 or optional 370-hp 5.7-liter V-8 each
mate to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is
standard, but all-wheel drive is available and still maintains the
sporty rear-drive feel. The taut suspension and weighty steering bolster
the muscle-car image while remaining compliant for everyday use and
long-distance comfort.
The 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat is a car of superlatives: quite possibly the fastest and most powerful family sedan ever built. Dashing looks, an upscale interior and a relatively affordable price round out this modern take on the classic muscle car.
The 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat is a car of superlatives: quite possibly the fastest and most powerful family sedan ever built. Dashing looks, an upscale interior and a relatively affordable price round out this modern take on the classic muscle car.
Highlights
- FUEL ECONOMY (CTY/HWY) 18/27 mpg
- CAR TYPE Sedan
- TRANSMISSION 8-speed Shiftable Automatic
- BASIC WARRANTY Not Available
- ENGINE TYPE Gas
- TOTAL SEATING Not Available
- CYLINDERS V6
- CONSUMER RATING Not Available
The Charger’s bad-boy attitude, muscular styling, and available Hemi V-8 power challenge the family-sedan status quo. The 292-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 or optional 370-hp 5.7-liter V-8 each mate to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available and still maintains the sporty rear-drive feel. The taut suspension and weighty steering bolster the muscle-car image while remaining compliant for everyday use and long-distance comfort.
Dodge was, until recently, steering its Charger in the same
retro-muscle-car direction as its Challenger coupe. But starting for
2015, the Charger follows a different course, instead taking on a more
modern look on the outside—one that serves almost as a counterpoint to
the Challenger's faithful retro-revival, all while preserving these
models' uniquely American take on performance.
Overall, the 2015 Charger retains its commanding shape, but in a smoother and more refined way. It looks like a car that will slip powerfully through the air rather than batter it aside through brute force. The retro detailing has given way to a more integrated appearance tying it to the rest of the modern Dodge family, making it less flamboyant--but still both practical and capable of muscle-car behavior. Add in an updated interior, revised powertrains, and new safety equipment, and the big rear-wheel-drive family sedan may find a whole new set of fans as it enters its second decade.
From 2015 Dodge Charger SE and SXT V-6 models, up to the outrageous, exotic-level Charger SRT Hellcat, this is a lineup that delivers as much performance as you expect—and in most cases, even more than you'd expect, given the level of comfort and day-to-day usability of these four-door sedans.
For 2015, all Chargers are now offered with the eight-speed automatic transmission formerly confined to the some of the less powerful V-6 models. The base engine for the SE model is a 292-horsepower Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 producing 260 lb-ft of torque (up to 300 hp and 264 hp with the Rallye Appearance Group in the SXT). Either V-6 model comes standard with rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive is optional. The V-8, of course, is what's implied when most people see a Charger. And for that, you have plenty of options and performance levels. The R/T comes with Chrysler's 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, rated at 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. Above that, the R/T Scat Pack and SRT 392 models have a 485-horsepower, 6.4-liter V-8. It's what was formerly the top engine in the Charger lineup, and now with the Scat Pack it's available at an entry price of around $40,000.
The king of the lineup is the Charger SRT Hellcat. It has the same 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 as the Challenger SRT Hellcat, but it accelerates even quicker than the Challenger Hellcat (0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, officially). And its top speed is a holy-rolling 204 mph.
With the eight-speed automatic, we've found the V-6 models to be very responsive, and really all that you'd need for keeping ahead of traffic, provided you're not going to miss having a V-8 under the hood. Now that V-8 models also have the eight-speed automatic, there's plenty of opportunity for more relaxed mid-throttle passing without having the V-8 belt out its full song to law enforcement.
The primary upgrades to the Dodge Charger for the 2015 model year were upgraded electronics (more gadgets) and a transmission upgrade for V8s. The Charger also boasts a new shifter, which feels like a traditional type; it has a secondary gate for manual-override shifting (paddle shifters are also standard on R/T, optional on SXT).
For 2015, the Charger continues with its basic models — SE and SXT for V6 buyers, and R/T for V8 buyers; but the SE has been dramatically upgraded. All wheel drive is now on V6 models only — in the past, it was on V8s; we don’t know if this is a temporary arrangement.
Overall, the 2015 Charger retains its commanding shape, but in a smoother and more refined way. It looks like a car that will slip powerfully through the air rather than batter it aside through brute force. The retro detailing has given way to a more integrated appearance tying it to the rest of the modern Dodge family, making it less flamboyant--but still both practical and capable of muscle-car behavior. Add in an updated interior, revised powertrains, and new safety equipment, and the big rear-wheel-drive family sedan may find a whole new set of fans as it enters its second decade.
From 2015 Dodge Charger SE and SXT V-6 models, up to the outrageous, exotic-level Charger SRT Hellcat, this is a lineup that delivers as much performance as you expect—and in most cases, even more than you'd expect, given the level of comfort and day-to-day usability of these four-door sedans.
For 2015, all Chargers are now offered with the eight-speed automatic transmission formerly confined to the some of the less powerful V-6 models. The base engine for the SE model is a 292-horsepower Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 producing 260 lb-ft of torque (up to 300 hp and 264 hp with the Rallye Appearance Group in the SXT). Either V-6 model comes standard with rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive is optional. The V-8, of course, is what's implied when most people see a Charger. And for that, you have plenty of options and performance levels. The R/T comes with Chrysler's 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, rated at 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. Above that, the R/T Scat Pack and SRT 392 models have a 485-horsepower, 6.4-liter V-8. It's what was formerly the top engine in the Charger lineup, and now with the Scat Pack it's available at an entry price of around $40,000.
The king of the lineup is the Charger SRT Hellcat. It has the same 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 as the Challenger SRT Hellcat, but it accelerates even quicker than the Challenger Hellcat (0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, officially). And its top speed is a holy-rolling 204 mph.
With the eight-speed automatic, we've found the V-6 models to be very responsive, and really all that you'd need for keeping ahead of traffic, provided you're not going to miss having a V-8 under the hood. Now that V-8 models also have the eight-speed automatic, there's plenty of opportunity for more relaxed mid-throttle passing without having the V-8 belt out its full song to law enforcement.
The primary upgrades to the Dodge Charger for the 2015 model year were upgraded electronics (more gadgets) and a transmission upgrade for V8s. The Charger also boasts a new shifter, which feels like a traditional type; it has a secondary gate for manual-override shifting (paddle shifters are also standard on R/T, optional on SXT).
For 2015, the Charger continues with its basic models — SE and SXT for V6 buyers, and R/T for V8 buyers; but the SE has been dramatically upgraded. All wheel drive is now on V6 models only — in the past, it was on V8s; we don’t know if this is a temporary arrangement.
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