2026 Dodge Charger Overview: Internal combustion is back, baby!
The moment is finally here. If you weren’t jazzed about the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona — and most people weren’t, frankly — the brand is finally addressing that imbalance with this: the new Sixpack. Now, we’ve obviously known about this development for awhile, with the name giving away the 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six that lurks within. Some people may still be dismayed that there’s no Hemi V8 under that tall-and-wide hood, but the Dodge team is confident this offers everything you could want from a proper muscle car in terms of looks, capability and performance at a reasonable price tag.
To get a sense of whether this new Sixpack-propelled Charger Scat Pack is truly the right car for the moment, Dodge brought Kase and I out to Knoxville, Tennessee to check it out on the infamous Tail of the Dragon.
On paper, things look promising.
Even though purists would argue we’re missing a couple cylinders here, the Hurricane I-6 is no slouch in its own right. The 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack manages 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque — both heartily higher than the old 6.4-liter Scat Pack — as well as standard all-wheel drive capability. Even better, if you want some tail-out action or just want the traditional rear-wheel drive experience, you can make it happen with the push of a button and all that power goes to the back axle. With more power, a snappy 8-speed (ZF) TorqueFlite 880RE transmission and a longer and wider profile than even the old Charger Widebody, this new model aims to offer more of everything to everyone.
The 2026 Dodge Charger lineup, including the Sixpack, now also offers a two-door and four-door option, with the former effectively replacing the now-defunct Challenger for folks still wanting a coupe. Not that this is technically a coupe though. It may look like one thanks to the classic ’60s-inspired exterior, but the new Charger is actually a liftback, with enough space behind the rear seats to accommodate up to 37.4 cubic feet of cargo with a 40.1-inch-wide opening. In other words, more than double the cargo volume of the old Charger sedan.
At $56,990 to start (including $1,995 destination), Dodge also aims to court buyers with a more attractive price tag, even against the old Scat Pack Widebody. Not only is this more affordable than even that car was, but you get a physically larger vehicle with more power, better tech and better fuel economy — Dodge claims mpg figures up to around the mid-20s for the more potent Scat Pack model — it ought to give you something to think about, despite not packing the classic Hemi V8.
And it’s a tempting proposition.
Even if you can’t afford the Scat Pack or don’t need 550 horsepower, a standard-output R/T model will be along early next year. After the two-door Scat Pack hits dealers next month, the R/T will arrive in early 2026 sporting a price tag of $51,990. The four-door Scat Pack, which will set you back an extra $2,000 over the two-door model (or $58,990 to start), will launch in early 2026 as well.
Both models come in below the electric Charger Daytona, Dodge also repositioned that model to woo EV buyers, for what it’s worth, with a $61,990 starting MSRP.
With the Sixpack Scat Pack model, you pretty much get a fully loaded car for the money as well. Your only choices are a choice of nine exterior colors (we’re looking at ‘Peel Out’ here) and two styling-focused packages: the 20 x 11-inch Wheel and Tire Package and the Blacktop package with dark badging, exhaust tips and different 20 inch wheels — either of which cost $1,095.
The Scat Pack is also available as a Plus model, which adds leatherette or Nappa leather seating, a larger digital gauge cluster, a head-up display and 64-color ambient lighting (I’m sorry, “Attitude Adjustment” lighting).
Testing out the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack’s performance
There’s one thing you need to keep in mind above all else when you check out the 2026 Dodge Charger: This is a big car. Not only was that evident from the fact that it’s built on the ‘STLA Large’ platform, but in terms of physical stature. It’s a leviathan, weighing in at just over 4,800 pounds. It rides on a 121-inch wheelbase with a total length of 206.6 inches (about 4 inches less than a Chevy Tahoe), and is 79.8 inches wide. And boy, do you feel how huge this car is when you hit the narrow, 318-curve Tail of the Dragon between Tennessee and North Carolina.
As Kase puts it in the video below: the new Charger Scat Pack (or indeed, the even heavier Daytona EV) is the anti-Miata. So on the basis of sheer bulk, this model certainly leans more toward muscle car than out-and-out sports car. And honestly, for the sort of folks who are genuinely interested in Dodge’s brand heritage, that’s probably for the better.
Case in point: The six-cylinder Charger Scat Pack can still sprint from 0-60 in a (Dodge-claimed) 3.9 seconds. According to the automaker, it’ll also complete the quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 177 mph. This car is not slow.
It’s far from hopeless in the corners, either, as it will handle the twisties with confidence. Apart from the all-wheel drive — which splits torque 50/50 in Auto mode or moves 60/40 front-to-rear in Sport — the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack also has a multilink front and rear suspension setup promising 36% better on-center responsiveness over the old sedan. Again, the front axle can also disconnect entirely, whether by its own devices in normal driving to save fuel, or in Sport mode (which disengages the automatic front-axle disconnect) by pushing the Rear-Wheel Drive button. The Scat Pack also comes with fan favorites like Launch Control and Line Lock, so this car has lost none of its ability to go ham with some serious driving or burnouts.
It’s not perfect, however…
To be clear, the 550 horsepower’s grunt (especially its low-end torque) is exceptional. The 305-width tires provide plenty of grip when you need it. The transmission is appropriately quick to respond, and the steering gives you enough sense of where you’re pointing, even if it doesn’t offer tons of feedback, like most modern cars. The new Charger also comes standard with a limited-slip differential, so the car is good fun to toss around, as we did in an empty parking lot Dodge set up for drifting and donuts.
The issue you’ll have to contend with isn’t one you’ll encounter on paper, but the overall experience on the road. When both Kase and I drove the Scat Pack through the 11-mile stretch of endless curves, we remarked on how the Hurricane engine sounds. Even with dual-mode exhaust, which opens up for more decibels in Sport mode, the Charger just isn’t as sonorous as, say, a BMW M3.
It’s a bit too raspy with each upshift, and it certainly doesn’t deliver the thunder that folks typically associate with the old V8 Charger/Challenger siblings. Under the hood, the Hurricane also sounds relatively rough and, to my ear, a little clattery under load compared to the silky smoothness of well-established straight-sixes like the S58 and its predecessors. The dual 3.9-inch tips help its case so it’s louder and more present to folks outside the car, but for folks awaiting sound that can wake the dead, you’re just not going to get that sitting inside the Sixpack without going to the aftermarket.
Mind you, Tail of the Dragon isn’t somewhere you’re going to be going flat-out…not unless you want a one-way ticket off this mortal coil or your brand-new Charger to be impounded. Even outside that context, though, you’ll get into the groove, but the Charger into Sport mode for a quick blast and reach behind the steering wheel to find positively tiny shift paddles for rowing yourself through the 8-speed ‘box. Come on, this is a properly powerful car, and it deserves properly sized paddles so I feel like I’m doing something when I go to change gear. Or, Dodge, here’s an idea: You know that ‘pistol grip’ shifter? Add the ability to knock it over to the side so you can flick through the gears that way. That would be far more satisfying.
The Scat Pack’s interior is impressive, with relatively few cheap-feeling points.
Speaking of that shifter, it is one of the coolest points of the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack. The flat-bottom and flat-top steering wheel also adds to the look, even if it makes low-speed maneuvering a bit trickier versus a rounder wheel. The new Charger also incorporates either a 10.25-inch or 16-inch infotainment screen (the latter being part of the aforementioned Plus trim), as well as a 12.3-inch infotainment screen.
Both screens are configurable every which way, with the infotainment using the latest Uconnect 5 system. As ever, the Scat Pack offers up all the SRT-focused goodies like Performance Pages as well as access to all your drive modes through the steering wheel-mounted switch. Your heated and ventilated seat controls are positioned along the sides as touch buttons, though you do get physical switches for the climate controls just below the screen, as well as physical volume and tuning knobs. Down the center stack, the Charger offers a wireless smartphone charger, while you also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.
The back seat of the new Charger is surprisingly roomy, as well. You get an additional 4 inches of legroom over the old Challenger, for 37.2 inches. With a panoramic sunroof, sitting in the rear seats also feels like a proper place for actual human beings to sit, rather than a cynical exercise to say the Charger can technically seat five people. Here’s the kicker: The wheelbase between the two- and four-door Chargers is exactly the same, so those rear doors are literally the only difference between the two models. You aren’t gaining or losing any room by choosing one over the other (you just get some extra practicality by not having the move the front seats to get into the four-door).
Overall, the seats and touch points of the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack feel premium for the money you’re paying. I did wish the center armrest was a little more generously padded, but the automaker did a good job of keeping any cheaper feeling materials out of sight or feel. Styling wise, much like the exterior, I think the new Charger hits just right.
Verdict: A good car you should check out, but it’s missing the X factor
Kase and I both really like the 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack. Even if you’re lamenting the lack of V8 — and given Ram’s recent track record, don’t count it out just yet — it’s a thoroughly fun experience for what is, by today’s standards, a solid price. Keep in mind, this is actually a bit less expensive to start than the old Charger Scat Pack Widebody.
Before we got to drive it, I contended that the Sixpack’s main issue is largely a cultural one. It’s supposed to be a muscle car, and muscle cars are supposed to have V8s. To that, the kind folks Dodge retorted to the effect of, “do you really want the slower option?”, to those clamoring for the old-school Hemi.
Yes, some people do! That’s why the 2026 Ram 1500 saw a 10,000-plus uptick in reservations upon the return of the iconic V8 to the fold. The Hurricane is technically better in pretty much every way, but it still lacks something the Hemi’s had in droves while Dodge spent more than 17 years building the old Charger: personality.
The only real “issue” we had with the Charger Scat Pack is more of a vibe thing, and if you can look past that, then seriously give it a test drive. We only had a few hours behind the wheel, too, so we’ll definitely take future opportunities to see if it grows on us further. One of the first points of order will be a drag race, which will happen when we get a car back in Colorado.
And while Dodge obviously won’t comment on future plans, CEO Matt McAlear, among others, kept coming back to one salient point. This new-generation Charger is just getting going, and has now expanded to include both BEV and ICE powertrains. The last model had a historically long run, so if that’s anything to go by, we can expect much more from this Charger in the coming years.
