2019 Dodge Charger Brings Rejiggered Lineup and a Hotter Hellcat
Dodge has done a bit of fiddling with the Charger sedan lineup for 2019, offering a new all-wheel-drive SXT model, a rear-wheel-drive Charger GT, and a number of upgrades to the Hellcat and R/T Scat Pack models. The lineup will now encompass six iterations of the four-door hoon saloon that cover the spread from basic six-cylinder models to moon-stomping supercharged terrorbeasts. Let’s begin, shall we?
At the bottom rests the Charger SXT, with a 292-hp version of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. Its 260 lb-ft of torque are converted into forward motion by an eight-speed automatic transmission. The SXT trim level includes remote start, cruise control, a capless fuel filler, automatic halogen projector headlights with LED accents, and three 12-volt power outlets. Those with a penchant for options can chose houndstooth cloth sport seats or a Caramel nappa leather interior; the Blacktop package, which includes new 20-inch Black Noise–design wheels; and a new Cold Weather package, which offers a heated steering wheel and heated cloth front seats.
Opt for the SXT AWD and the Pentastar gets a power bump to an even 300, as well as a 4-lb-ft bonus in the torque department. The AWD system apportions torque automatically and features a front-axle disconnect to reduce parasitic losses in the drivetrain. All options remain the same as the RWD SXT, except the Blacktop package includes 19-inch Black Noises instead of the dubs on Blacktop rear-drivers.
No longer available with AWD, the now-rear-drive-only Charger GT carries forth with the AWD SXT’s uprated engine and comes with a host of performance-type mods, including a revised suspension, a 3.07:1 final-drive ratio, what Dodge refers to as “enhanced” steering, paddle shifters, new Dark Dub Plate instrument-panel trim, and an 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment screen with Dodge’s Performance Pages software. The more heavily bolstered performance seats feature houndstooth cloth upholstery, and buyers can choose from 20-inch Satin Carbon or Black Noise wheels. A more aggressive hood is fitted as standard, while the Cold Weather pack is optional.
Select for the Charger R/T and you get the angrier hood, but here it hides a Hemi V-8 instead of a six-cylinder. Specifically, it’s a familiar 5.7-liter unit good for 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft. Like the aforementioned Chargers, it has an eight-speed automatic. In fact, it’s basically a GT with a V-8, right down to the houndstooth seats.
The 6.4-liter–powered R/T Scat Pack offers up 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft from its V-8, which Chrysler calls the 392, and its seats get Scat Pack bee logos. The decklid also wears the 1960s-apiary escapee. There’s now a launch-control switch mounted on the dashboard, as well as line-lock functionality, putting the smokiest of burnouts within reach of the most dunderheaded miscreant. Those not content to drive a machine festooned merely with bees can add dual Carbon stripes, a satin-black hood, and/or Bilstein three-mode adaptive damping.
If Hell is required, Dodge has massaged the ’Cat for even more of it. That particular Charger gets a new grille that feeds more cold air into the engine compartment, the Scat Pack’s launch-control switch and line lock, an After-Run Chiller (which keeps cooling the supercharger and charge-air cooler after the engine has been shut down), and Torque Reserve. That last function operates by closing a bypass valve to make sure the 6.2-liter Hemi is filled with air, and it also manages fuel flow and spark advance to balance rpm and torque. Dodge says this “generates a reserve of torque that is delivered upon acceleration from a standing stop.” Because, you know, the SRT Hellcat needed more readily available torque, brimming as it is with 650 lb-ft to go along with its 707 horsepower. The instrument panel gets new badges, forged Brass Monkey 20-inch wheels are now an option, and a new package can be spec’d to wrap pieces of the interior in microsuede.
The 2019 Chargers will be available in the following colors: B5 Blue, F8 Green, Go Mango, Granite Crystal, IndiGo Blue, Maximum Steel, Octane Red, Pitch Black, Plum Crazy, TorRed, Triple Nickel, White Knuckle, and Destroyer Grey. We assume Gene Simmons was responsible for that last one. In any event, if losing your mind in Detroit Rock City’s your thing, the Charger is almost invariably your sedan. Dealer order books open right about now, and cars will begin hitting showroom floors during the third quarter of 2018.
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