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Dodge Charger to get major revamp for 2020


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June 27, 2019 11:48 AM updated 4 hours ago

Dodge Charger to get major revamp for 2020

https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/dodge-charger-get-major-revamp-2020

widebody.jpg

 

CHELSEA, Mich. — It's rare if not unprecedented for an automaker to invest serious cash into a vehicle whose bones are old enough to vote. But the Dodge Charger is getting a significant revamp for 2020.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is claiming the new 2020 Charger Hellcat Widebody will be the "most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world." FCA said the Hemi-engined Hellcat will reach 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and have a top speed of 196 mph.

The car, whose platform is derived from an old Mercedes-Benz that migrated to Dodge during the DaimlerChrysler era, packs a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V-8 rated at 707 hp and 650 pound-feet of torque. That's the same basic powertrain from the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, also a survivor from the DaimlerChrysler era. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard.

The wide-body treatment includes huge fender flares that add 3.5 inches of width over 20-inch wheels, which are also 11 inches wide. The car also gets new front and rear fascias.

Dodge engineers added six-piston Brembo brakes with two-piece rotors and a Hellcat-specific three-mode suspension system that uses Bilstein adaptive shocks.

 

No prices have been announced, but dealers will be able to order the car this fall and deliveries are scheduled to start early next year.

"People say, 'no one wants cars anymore.' I would tell you that the 40,000 people who bought a Dodge Charger so far this year would probably agree, because to them, the Charger isn't just a car," said Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger cars for FCA in North America.

"The Charger's reach extends beyond body-style practicalities and it can't be defined by average industry shifts," he said.

The wide-body appearance package also will be available on a lower-powered Charger, the Scat Pack model.

Dodge Charger's U.S. sales fell 4.2 percent to 26,716 vehicles through May.

FCA assembles the Charger at its plant at its Brampton plant in Canada, where an FCA spokesman said production will remain "status quo."

 

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"People say, 'no one wants cars anymore.' I would tell you that the 40,000 people who bought a Dodge Charger so far this year would probably agree...."

Of course, 39,000 of 'em were fleet sales...and well, hey, fleet managers are people too.

Edited by twintornados
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I absolutely love the looks of this car.  I have been a fan of the exterior for several years and like it far more then the Challenger.  What I dont like is the cheap plastic inside.  From the plastic the seat controls are attached to, to the cheap door trim etc.  

When I was at the NY auto show, it's all I could see when looking at the inside.  For the price tag, they could do much better with materials inside.

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On 6/29/2019 at 11:52 AM, blwnsmoke said:

I absolutely love the looks of this car.  I have been a fan of the exterior for several years and like it far more then the Challenger.  What I dont like is the cheap plastic inside.  From the plastic the seat controls are attached to, to the cheap door trim etc.  

When I was at the NY auto show, it's all I could see when looking at the inside.  For the price tag, they could do much better with materials inside.

For all the mixed comments here, I feel that this styling would suit ROW markets better than the 300C did. Depending on the markets, things like 3.0 Ecodiesel to 3.6 V6 to Hemi V8 would all stand a good chance of selling to niche markets like Australia and perhaps UK/Europe. I'm simply staggered at the amount of full sized trucks being converted in Melbourne each month, around 450 Rams and 150-200 Silverado/Sierra as well as similar amount of Camaro. Interest doesn't seem to be waining either.

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I just traded a 2016 Dodge Charger sxt rallye for a 2019 Continental. While the big engines get all the attention, I really liked my base 300 Hp sxt rallye, which was the sxt with all bells and whistles, now possibly called the Charger GT.  If you miss the Crown Vic, get one of these before they change platforms in 2021 (guess). Stable RWD, simple flat dash, functional interior, comfortable roomy front seat. And an excellent touchscreen interface.  Challengers are the same thing but with a sexier body. Camaro is more cramped, bad touchscreen, possibly more expensive. Charger has good visibility too, for those who still use rear and rear side windows.

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1 hour ago, twintornados said:

Whats to confirm? FCA is loath to continue using an ancient Mercedes Benz chassis, especially when they have more modern chassis platforms already in house.

Huh?  Confirm because FCA has milked the same damn platform for 14 years.  Why use something new when these vehicles still sell and are profitable (yeah Ford does the same thing).   I’m not so certain that FCA is willing to throw a new platform at the Challenger/Charger....considering Ford seems reluctant to commit to a new platform for the Mustang.  

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1 hour ago, twintornados said:

Whats to confirm? FCA is loath to continue using an ancient Mercedes Benz chassis, especially when they have more modern chassis platforms already in house.

They seem content to refresh things on old platforms. What they aren't content with is handing down their more upscale platforms to Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram (which is a shame). 

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2 hours ago, twintornados said:

Whats to confirm? FCA is loath to continue using an ancient Mercedes Benz chassis, especially when they have more modern chassis platforms already in house.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Durango ride on a Daimler derives platform too. 

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11 hours ago, 02MustangGT said:

Huh?  Confirm because FCA has milked the same damn platform for 14 years.  Why use something new when these vehicles still sell and are profitable (yeah Ford does the same thing).   I’m not so certain that FCA is willing to throw a new platform at the Challenger/Charger....considering Ford seems reluctant to commit to a new platform for the Mustang.  

Cost sharing across current platforms instead of using bespoke platforms for each car will go well to making more profit per vehicle.

https://moparinsiders.com/what-we-know-about-the-next-generation-dodge-charger/

11 hours ago, Dequindre said:

They seem content to refresh things on old platforms. What they aren't content with is handing down their more upscale platforms to Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram (which is a shame). 

see above

10 hours ago, sullynd said:

The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Durango ride on a Daimler derives platform too. 

No, it does not, the chassis was designed for the Jeep and Durango and plans included using the WK2 to underpin Mercedes ML. Jeep Grand Cherokee was to debut first, but bankruptcy and a sale to Fiat delayed the Jeep debut and the Mercedes ML actually came out first.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Grand_Cherokee

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On 8/10/2019 at 4:57 PM, Dequindre said:

Is this confirmed? FCA tends to milk platforms for all they're worth. 

Wasn't the latest rumor that the Giorgio platform now couldn't be made large enough, and that they're reverting to reworking the existing platform?

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10 hours ago, rmc523 said:

Wasn't the latest rumor that the Giorgio platform now couldn't be made large enough, and that they're reverting to reworking the existing platform?

I have not heard that, but I can believe it. FCA's 5-year plans are more like 5-month plans. It's no wonder they can't get new products to the market. 

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12 hours ago, Dequindre said:

I have not heard that, but I can believe it. FCA's 5-year plans are more like 5-month plans. It's no wonder they can't get new products to the market. 

Hm.  Well, these articles (there were more, but they all said the same things) were from last June, but came from Marchionne himself.  That said, things very well could have changed since then.

https://thenewswheel.com/update-next-generation-of-dodge-charger-and-challenger-models-will-not-be-switching-vehicle-platforms/

Marchionne also announced that the Dodge Challenger and Charger would not be receiving an Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform for their next iteration.

“The problem with Giorgio is from size and capability standpoint it reflects much more of a European performance requirement than it does the American heritage of Dodge,” the CEO remarked. Simply put, the European platform of the Giulia simply doesn’t complement the heavy Hemi V-8 engines under the hoods of the Dodge Challenger and Charger.

Another rumored platform for the Dodge Challenger and Charger came in the form of the Maserati Ghibli platform.However, with rumors of FCA planning to spin off Maserati, this possibility seems just as unlikely as FCA using the Giulia’s platform.

Instead, the Dodge Challenger and Charger are set to use the same platforms, albeit with additional restructuring by the time the next generation of the models rolls out. While it is a bit disappointing to hear that the Challenger and Charger won’t be receiving new vehicle platforms for their next iteration, sacrificing the power that Dodge’s Hemi engines provide to the models in exchange for said new platform simply might not have been worth the cost.

https://carbuzz.com/news/2021-dodge-challenger-and-charger-won-t-switch-to-alfa-romeo-platform

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