News on the Dodge Charger has its ups and downs these days—usually the latter. For those of you disappointed at the loss of the Hemi V8 and the advent of the EV-powered Charger Daytona, this is an ICE story for you.
Car and Driver brings to our attention what’s in store for 2026, which means Dodge just dropped a press release. As the EV-powered Charger Daytona has been the only game in town since the Charger’s redesign, we will finally get to see the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six trickle down to dealerships before the end of the year. Is it a substitute for the Hemi? No, but “true” performance fans have finally been given some hope.
The Charger Sixpack will be available as a coupe or sedan, both featuring the Charger’s good looks that seem to get better with each iteration. So why don’t we see more of these on the roads? (Well, duh!) The Sixpack may finally receive the esteem needed for the Charger to show up on Main Street, USA.
The entry-level version will be the Charger Sixpack R/T, which sounds strange considering R/T used to be a step-up performance model. Powering the Sixpack R/T will be a 420-horsepower version of the Hurricane engine; a 550-horse version will power the Charger Sixpack Scat Pack, which is expected to pull 12.2-second ETs. Both version feature an eight-speed automatic and AWD, with the front axle capable of disconnecting automatically to improve fuel economy for the latter—shades of 1930s free-wheeling! Additionally, Sixpack Scat Pack models will also feature Line Lock standard, sending 100 percent of torque to the rear wheels while you annoy your neighbors.
Look closely at the hood and you may notice the Sixpack lacks the “R-Wing” pass-through, which is a feature of the Daytona. Additionally, the hood features a bulge that not only looks great, but is also designed to accommodate the twin-turbo engine.
If there’s a cost to this, it’s the 4800-pound weight, which would make an Imperial break out in a sweat. What’s the weight penalty on the front wheels? Fifty-five percent. If you thought the mention of cost was going to lead to the price, then here ya go: The Charger Sixpack R/T coupe will start at $51,990, while the Sixpack Scat Pack will require five grand more. Prefer the practicality of the sedan? Add another $2,000 and patience, as the sedan won’t appear until the new year.
The Charger Sixpack Scat Pack will be the first out of the gate, appearing late in 2025, while the Sixpack R/T will follow after the start of 2026. Considering the Charger’s architecture is already primed for ICE, could a Hemi V8 be far behind? With the return of Tim Kuniskis, we can only look forward to 2027 to see what Dodge may bring us.
