If you don’t want a fully electric muscle car, the Dodge Charger Sixpack is coming next year.
With the new Charger Daytona making its official debut today, there’s certainly been a lot of buzz surrounding the next-generation models — not all of it positive. While Dodge, with the rest of Stellantis, aims to gradually phase out internal combustion models, the automaker decided against betting the farm on an all-EV approach with the Charger revamp, and given some of the consternation in the comments for both Daytona videos we published (which you can check out in my longer post here), that was a smart decision.
Still, it’s not as if the gas-powered 2025 Dodge Charger is completely in the clear. The “Sixpack” part of its name is a direct hint at what lies within: a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged “Hurricane” inline-six. While it is potent — the High Output (H.O.) version manages up to 550 horsepower, per Dodge’s claim — it ain’t a V8. The S.O. (standard output) version, for what it’s worth, comes in at 420 horsepower.
On paper, then, these two engines split the difference by offering better entry-level power than the old 3.6-liter V6 or 5.7/6.4-liter V8s in the outgoing R/T and Scat Pack, but not quite as much grunt as the old SRT Hellcats, Redeyes or Demons. Instead, we’re looking at differently tuned versions of the engine that lives in the Jeep Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer and the revamped Ram 1500 truck.
All gasoline 2025 Dodge Charger models will mate up to an 8-speed automatic transmission and feature all-wheel drive as standard. However, drivers will be able to disengage the front axle when they want to, making the car entirely rear-wheel drive for certain situations where you’d want that. So donut enthusiasts, don’t despair.
As for styling, the 2025 Dodge Charger Sixpack models won’t feature the same “R-Wing” passthrough on the hood that the electric car has, since it needs to accommodate the Hurricane engine. Nevertheless, it will still have a similar exterior design, just with larger cooling intakes. All Charger models will also feature the Fratzog logo, rather than a standard Dodge emblem both front and rear.
Two and four-door models will be available for the gas models, just like the EV.
Inside, the Sixpacks should look broadly similar to the electric Daytona. A 12.3-inch central touchscreen is still standard equipment, as is the 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster. You’ll be able to upgrade that to a 16.0-inch unit if you want, and the general cabin look and feel should be about the same. Gas models will simply have a Charger emblem on the passenger-side IP rather than Daytona, but stylistic features like the “pistol grip” shifter remain in place.
Dodge says it will start production for the internal combustion Charger Sixpack models in the first quarter of 2025. We don’t know how much the S.O. or H.O. versions will cost yet, but we should have more information closer to the end of 2024. At any rate, they should be less expensive than the Daytona EVs. It’s also unclear whether we’ll see an even higher-power version as a successor to the old Hellcats. Right now, it appears Dodge is planning for the SRT Banshee to take up that mantle, but based on how much is going on with the new Charger, there could be other plans we still don’t know about yet.
