Dodge Charger:: next-gen muscle car to lose weight, gain turbo four – report
The next-generation Dodge Charger could shed around 225 kilograms and add a small turbocharged petrol engine to the roster, according to a new report this week.
Industry journal Automotive News cites an unnamed source with knowledge of the company’s product plan, claiming that the new Charger will ride on a version of the FCA ‘Giorgio’ platform that underpins the new Alfa Romeo Giulia. That alone would help reduce its kerb weight from just under 4000 pounds (1814kg) to around 3500 pounds (1587kg).
Adding to the more modernised muscle car could be a new twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, producing around 225kW. The same engine is expected to appear in the upcoming 2018 Jeep Wrangler.
The current Dodge Charger shares its platform with the closely-related Chrysler 300, offered with a range of V6 and V8 petrol engines, including a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 in the SRT Hellcat variant, which produces 527kW of power and 881Nm of torque.
According to Automotive News, the current Charger - first launched in 2008 - is due for a second refresh in 2018, meaning that the next-generation model may not debut until the turn of the decade.
Last year, reports claimed that a private FCA dealer event showcased several upcoming models that are still yet to be revealed, including the next Charger, Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, along with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV.
The styling preview of the Charger was described to closely resemble the well-received 1999 concept car of the same name, hinting at a four-door coupe-like silhouette for the next-generation model.
Considering the new car isn’t expected to surface until the end of the decade, it is still too early to confirm any details of the next-generation Dodge Charger, or its prospects for an Australian release.
As for Australia, Fiat Chrysler has struggled to establish a business case for the current Dodge Charger and Challenger, as both are exclusively offered in left-hand drive.
However, the performance-hungry Australian market, which will soon lose Ford and Holden’s locally-made V8 heroes, may yet welcome the next generation of Dodge’s performance sedan and coupe models by around 2020.
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