Still Hope for Gasoline? The Next Gen Dodge Charger May Replace its Hemi V8 with a Twin Turbo Inline Six
Dodge, like all of the other American auto brands, has been hyping up its transition away from internal combustion and towards electric vehicles.
And with the hope of retaining their loyal muscle car customers, Dodge showed off a muscle-themed EV concept last year called Charger Daytona SRT.
Ready for Prime Time?
While the concept had styling and personality inspired by the legendary V8-powered Dodge models, it was presented as the "first electric muscle car," ditching the Hemi engine for a battery-electric setup.
To help sell the idea of electric muscle, Dodge even went as far as giving the concept car its own unique electric "exhaust" sound.
But now, if recent rumors are to be believed, there may be a second version of the upcoming next-gen Dodge Charger that makes genuine internal combustion exhaust noises. Even if they aren't the V8 notes we all love.
Leaked assembly line photos and leaks from sources within Stellantis suggest the new Charger won't be sold solely as an EV, but also as a traditional internal combustion model.
Bye Bye V8, Hello Turbos
Sadly for the Hemi purists, that engine isn't going to be one of the company's 392 or Hellcat V8s, but the twin-turbocharged "Hurricane" inline-six, which can also be found in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
Horsepower though, should be right in line with what the outgoing Hemis. The "standard output" Hurricane engine makes 420hp while the high output variant makes over 500 horsepower.
Though Dodge has not confirmed anything about this gasoline Charger, it has confirmed that the new STLA platform can accommodate both BEV and internal combustion models.
One Car, Two Flavors
And if there are indeed both gasoline and electric versions of the new Charger being sold at the same time, it will be interesting to see how Dodge differentiates the two, and we look forward to the inevitable comparisons between the two versions.
Over the last few months, there's a been a lot of rumblings around the industry that the EV transition might not be fast or as wide-sweeping as we've been told.
And if that's the case, there's a good chance the new Charger won't be the only next-gen vehicle to keep gasoline alive, at least for a while longer.
Whether a 100% electric future is truly inevitable or not, we'd wager most enthusiasts will be happy if Dodge offers a choice between batteries or gasoline.
More From Driving Line
- While it looks like Stellantis will offer both gasoline or electric powertrains on the next-gen Charger, it's also building a pickup truck that uses a combination of both: the 2025 Ramcharger 1500.
