Our Thoughts Exactly: 2026 Dodge Charger

For those of you who know me well, you know where this is coming from – and heading to. 

Instead of explaining my love of Mopar, which I hope y’all already know. Rather, I need fast forward to today. 

If you are not up to date on the Dodge Charger, you are missing out on a 60-year-long history that got us to this point. 

The 2026 Charger is not a new vehicle. It was first introduced as an EV in 2024. You probably read about the backlash from dye-in-the-wool Moparians about swapping HEMIs and Hellcats for electrons and batteries. 

A course correction entailed. Yet, it was planned all along. Still, HEMIs and Hellcats were not part of the plan. Instead, Stellantis dropped their Hurricane twin-turbocharged in-line six-cylinder internal combustion engine in two flavors – standard and high output. 

The crops may have been saved, but there are still some Moparians who aren’t satisfied. After all, they coined the phrase “Mopar, or no car.”

No matter the type of pushback, bellyaching, and haterade you have been serving onto social media and the forums, can we please just enjoy this 2026 Charger?

First, I must confess that I pre-gamed on this 2026 R/T Plus four-door in Triple Nickel with these Fratzog patterned black-and-red stripes. It was at the 2026 Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally, where I had two product specialists from Dodge – along with George – jump in for a street loop. George would remark that I had a smile on my face while rocking this 420-horsepower standard output Mopar machine. A natural reaction, I suppose…

I loved it so much, I asked for one for a full evaluation. 

The car itself was exactly how I remembered it. Although, there were a few details that I forgot from the first encounter with it. One was the full glass panoramic roof – a single massive pane surrounded by black paint on top. The striping package were applied to the roof to cover most of the glass, acting as a shade for inside occupants. This is a controversial detail, but if you could see some of the benefits, you probably wouldn’t mind it. 

As for overall design, the large sedan – measured at 206.6 inches long – is substantial – around 4,741 pounds in curb weight – and has a strong presence. It is the latter that attracted me to it. You can pick out the design inspirations from previous Chargers – the front end and taillight treatment from the 1968-70 model, for example. Also, this is not the first hatchback in Charger history – remember the Omni 024 when it was rebadged for 1981? That counts, right?

Plus, lots of Fratzogs. They’re up front, in the back, and on the wheel caps. But wait, there’s more of Dodge’s iconic logo from the 1960s and 1970s!

Our test vehicle wore several additional features, including the Blacktop package. Not just the dual stripes with Fratzogs all over them running front-to-back, the contrast roof, panoramic roof glass, and rear spoiler. The feature list added a hefty set of 275/40ZR20 performance all-season Goodyear tires and Blacknoise 20-inch alloy wheels. 

If there one thing I love about the 2026 Charger is its cockpit design. That starts with an upgraded 16-inch Digital Cluster Display with excellent readouts. It sits behind a flat-top and -bottom steering wheel with a perfectly sized rim. The transmission is controlled by a “pistol-grip” shifter, which works nicely. There are more tactile controls than you would expect – and that’s a good thing! To enhance the experience, you can set the Attitude Adjustment ambient lighting to the color and intensity of your choice.

In the middle is a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen controlled by UConnect 5. It is very quick and responsive and offers wireless smartphone mirroring. Alpine drives an 18-speaker audio system that includes noise cancellation.

Seating for up to five is upholstered with a combined leatherette and suede surfaces in black. The front seats have a high backrest with integrated headrests. They tend to be on the firm side but are quite supportive and fatigue-free. 

Being a hatchback, you will be surprised by how much you can load back there. Behind the rear seats, it measures out to 22.8 cubic feet. When you fold down the rear seats, you have up to 38.0 cubic feet to load up. 

Underneath the hood is a 420-horsepower standard output “SIXPACK” 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, in-line six-cylinder engine. It also puts down 468 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends that power onward to all four wheels. If that’s not enough, you can upgrade to the Scat Pack model and its high output SIXPACK with just 550 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque on tap. If you insist on not using any petroleum products, the battery-electric Daytona Scat Pack is available with a dual-motor setup putting down 630 horsepower. 

With the standard output SIXPACK, you get the “rumble” and the drama of a HEMI. It sounds correct with its burble and the feel from the throttle. It simply cannot be ignored. This is an expectation we had when taking the wheel of the 2026 Charger. However, that beautiful noise can run silent and deep at cruising speed. The acceleration is quick – we clocked it between 4.5 and 4.7 seconds on a 0-60 MPH sprint. In turn, we observed a fuel consumption average of 20.6 MPG. 

The dampers were a balance between firm and compliant. It rolled through any kind of tarmac, but the smoother stretches offered a relaxing ride. Even with its size and girth, it handled quite well. 

You will also love the steering system. There was no vagueness, just solid action and precision. On-center feel was fine, and you can weigh it down by selecting Sport mode for more control.  The Brembo brakes can be touchy, but work the pedal correctly will return superb stops. You can feel the power of the system work towards delivering precise stops in normal and panic situtaions. 

The 2026 Dodge Charger comes in a two- or four-door hatchback, with a choice of six trim levels each. Prices start at $49,995. Our R/T Plus four-door sedan with the standard output SIXPACK engine came with a sticker price of $67,160. 

A Moparian has a set of expectations when it comes to their rides. A Modern Muscle Car must satisfy their wants, as well as deliver on heritage and performance. Even though none of the internal combustion-powered 2026 Chargers are of the HEMI V8 variety, the SIXPACK twin-turbocharged in-line six-cylinder has a great power band and throttle response to make you reconsider the absence of the HEMI V8 underneath its hood. 

Is this four-door R/T Plus the right specification for the Charger? It hits on a lot of soft spots in the heart. The Standard Output SIXPACK feels like an upgrade from the last generation's standard 5.7-liter V8, while exhibiting some of the burble from the 6.4-liter V8. In my humble opinion, you cannot go wrong with this specification – even if you skip the stripe package. 

By the way, there will be a purple Charger for 2027. They’re calling it “Purple Haze.”  It appears to be deeper shade than “Plum Crazy.” I dig it.

Stellantis has thrown everything into the new generation Charger. The Moparians should be satisfied…at least this one is. 

DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Stellantis North America – our opinions are of our own.

All photos by Randy Stern and George Torline