Dodge Charger

Dodge Charger

The Dodge Charger is a model produced by Dodge and represented in this catalogue by 8 generations, spanning from January 1966 to the present day. Across those generations the Charger has appeared with four different body styles: Fastback (1st generation), Coupe Hardtop (2nd), Coupe (3rd, 4th and 7th), and Sedan (5th and 6th).

Overview

The Dodge Charger is a model produced by Dodge and represented in this catalogue by 8 generations, spanning from January 1966 to the present day. Across those generations the Charger has appeared with four different body styles: Fastback (1st generation), Coupe Hardtop (2nd), Coupe (3rd, 4th and 7th), and Sedan (5th and 6th).

That list alone tells the story of the car better than any adjective: it began as a large fastback with carburettor V8s and drum brakes, spent the 2000s and 2010s as a four-door sedan with independent spring suspension all round and disc brakes, and returned in 2024 as a coupe again — this time with Electro powertrains alongside a turbocharged inline-six.

In total the catalogue holds 32 versions across the eight generations. Every engine listed is either Gasoline or Electro; there are no diesel versions in the data. Drive layouts are RWD and AWD. Gearboxes are Manual and Automatic, from 3 gears in the 1960s and 1970s to 8 gears in the modern cars, and a single-speed Automatic in the electric versions.

Generations

1 generation (January 1966 — August 1967), Fastback, 2 versions. The oldest Charger in the catalogue. Both versions share the same 6300 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 8-cylinder engine with Carburetor fuel supply and 375 hp / 275 kW: 6.3 MT with a 4-gear Manual and 6.3 AT with a 4-gear Automatic. Both are RWD, with Independent, spring front suspension and Dependent, leaf spring rear. Torque, kerb weight, top speed and brake types are not measured for either version.

2 generation (September 1967 — August 1970), Coupe Hardtop, 4 versions. The most powerful of the classic generations. Two versions use a 6974 cm³ V-shaped 8 with 425 hp / 317 kW and 664 Nm at 4000 rpm — 7.0 MT (4-gear Manual, 5.1 s to 100 km/h, 211 km/h) and 7.0 AT (3-gear Automatic, 6.1 s, 228 km/h). Two more use a 7187 cm³ V-shaped 8 with 375 hp / 276 kW: 7.2 AT (3-gear Automatic, 6.4 s) and 7.2 MT (4-gear Manual, 654 Nm, 5.7 s, 198 km/h). All are RWD, all Carburetor, all Drum brakes front and rear, all with Independent, spring front and Dependent, leaf spring rear suspension. Fuel-tank capacity is not measured for this whole generation.

3 generation (September 1970 — August 1974), Coupe, 5 versions. The widest engine spread in the catalogue — from a 3680 cm³ Inline 6-cylinder with 112 hp to a 7206 cm³ V-shaped 8 with 280 hp. All five are Carburetor, RWD, Drum brakes at both ends, with Independent, leaf spring front suspension and Dependent, leaf spring rear — the only generation with leaf springs at the front. Fuel tank is 80 l throughout. Acceleration to 100 km/h is not measured for any version of this generation.

4 generation (September 1974 — December 1978), Coupe, 2 versions. The thinnest data set here. Both versions share a 6600 cm³ Gasoline V-shaped 8, Carburetor, 223 hp / 164 kW, RWD, 3 gears: 6.6 MT (Manual) and 6.6 AT (Automatic). Torque, weight, speed, acceleration, ground clearance, tank and brake types are all not measured.

5 generation (January 2005 — December 2010), Sedan, 6 versions. The Charger becomes a four-door. Fuel supply moves to Distributed injection (multi-point) across the board, brakes become Disc front and rear, and both suspensions become Independent, spring. All six versions use a 5-gear Automatic. The range runs from the 2736 cm³ V6 2.7 AT (178 hp) to the 6059 cm³ V8 6.1 AT (432 hp). Ground clearance is 130 mm and the tank 68 l for every version.

6 generation (January 2010 — December 2014), Sedan, 4 versions. Still a sedan, still 5-gear Automatic throughout, tank up to 72 l, ground clearance 130 mm (126 mm on the 6.4). Four versions: 3.6 AT (296 hp V6), two 5.7 AT (370 hp V8 — one RWD, one AWD), and 6.4 AT (477 hp V8, the only version in the catalogue with Disc ventilated rear brakes and plain Disc fronts).

6 generation, restyling (from January 2014, still in production), Sedan, 5 versions. The restyling belongs to the sixth generation, not a separate one. The big mechanical change is the gearbox: 8 gears instead of 5, on all five versions. Power climbs across the board — the 5.7 goes from 370 to 375 hp, the 6.4 from 477 to 492 hp — and a supercharged 6.2 AT arrives with 717 hp. Ground clearance drops to 124 mm (116 mm on the 6.2 and 6.4), tank to 70 l. This is the only generation in the catalogue with wheel sizes recorded on the smaller engines: 215/65 R17, 235/55 R18, 235/55 R19.

7 generation (from March 2024, still in production), Coupe, 4 versions. The current car, and the first with Electro power. Three of its four versions are electric: AT (496 hp, 548 Nm, 4.7 s, 220 km/h, 2648 kg) and two identically-named AT Dayton Scat Pack entries (both 679 hp, 850 Nm, 3.3 s, from June 2025). The fourth, 3.0 AT (from January 2025), is a 2993 cm³ Gasoline Inline 6-cylinder with Turbo boost and Direct injection (direct) — 550 hp, 720 Nm, 3.9 s, 285 km/h. All four are AWD with Ventilated disc front brakes and Disc ventilated rear.

Engines and specs

Two versions in the sixth-generation restyling are both called 3.6 AT and both make 296 hp — they are separated by drive: one AWD (1885 kg, 7.4 s), one RWD (1785 kg, 6.8 s). Likewise the 5th generation has two 5.7 AT at 344 hp (AWD and RWD) and two 3.5 AT at 253 hp (AWD and RWD), and the 6th generation has two 5.7 AT at 370 hp (RWD and AWD). The 7th generation's two AT Dayton Scat Pack entries are identical in every recorded figure.

Fuel grade, where recorded: 92 for every Gasoline version of the 5th and 6th generations except the 5th-generation 6.1 AT, which takes 95; 98 for the 7th-generation 3.0 AT; Electro for the three electric versions. For all versions of generations 1–4 the fuel grade is not measured.

Compression ratio is recorded for 12 versions, from 8.2 (3 gen 7.2 MT) to 10.9 (6 gen 6.4 AT and 6 gen restyling 6.4 AT). Valves per cylinder: 4 on the V6 and inline-six units and on the restyled 3.6 AT and 5.7 AT, 2 on the older V8s and on the 6.2 AT and 6.4 AT; not measured for generations 1 and 4 and for the electric versions.

Performance and economy

Acceleration to 100 km/h. Quickest in the catalogue is the sixth-generation restyling 6.2 AT at 3.8 s — the 717 hp supercharged version. Next come the electric AT Dayton Scat Pack at 3.3 s… which is in fact quicker still: 3.3 s is the outright best figure here, ahead of the 6.2's 3.8 s and the 7th-generation 3.0 AT at 3.9 s. Then 6.4 AT (restyling) at 4.7 s, the electric AT at 4.7 s, 6.4 AT (6 gen) at 4.9 s, 6.1 AT at 5.1 s and the 2nd-generation 7.0 MT at 5.1 s. Slowest measured is the 5th-generation 2.7 AT at 10.7 s. Acceleration is not measured for all five versions of the 3rd generation, both versions of the 1st and both of the 4th.

Top speed. Highest is 329 km/h (6.2 AT, restyling), followed by 290 km/h (6.4 AT, restyling), 285 km/h (3.0 AT), 282 km/h (6.4 AT, 6 gen) and 280 km/h (6.1 AT). The classic cars sit far lower: 151 km/h for the 3rd-generation 3.7 MT, 177 km/h for 6.6 AT, 182 km/h for 5.6 MT, 191 km/h for the 3rd-generation 7.2 MT. Top speed is not measured for the 3rd-generation 5.2 MT, the 2nd-generation 7.2 AT, either version of the 1st or 4th generation, or the electric AT Dayton Scat Pack.

Fuel consumption. Recorded for only eight versions, and the spread is enormous. The thirstiest by a wide margin is the 2nd-generation 7.0 AT: 39.9 l/100 km city, 24.9 highway, 31.7 combined — with 7.0 MT close behind at 35.4 / 25.1 / 29.6 and 7.2 MT at 29.5 / 22.6 / 25.4. The modern figures are less than half of that: 6.2 AT (restyling) 18.1 / 10.7 / 14.7, 6.4 AT (6 gen) 16.8 / 10.2 / 13.8, 6.4 AT (restyling) 15.7 / 9.4 / 13.1, and the two most economical entries — the 5th-generation 2.7 AT and 3.5 AT (AWD), both 12.4 / 8.7 / 9.5. The 7th-generation 3.0 AT has a combined figure of 12.4 l/100 km with city and highway not measured. For the remaining versions consumption is not measured. CO₂ emissions and eco class are not measured for any version in the catalogue.

Dimensions and weight

Kerb weight runs from 1513 kg (3rd generation 3.7 MT) to 2648 kg (7th generation electric AT) — a spread of 1135 kg across the model's history. The classic coupes cluster between 1513 and 1805 kg; the sedans of the 5th and 6th generations between 1725 and 2019 kg; the restyled sixth generation reaches 2075 kg with the 6.2 AT; and the current generation is the heaviest, with 2185 kg for the 3.0 AT and 2648 kg for the electric AT. Kerb weight is not measured for both 4th-generation versions, both 1st-generation versions, the 2nd-generation 7.2 AT and both AT Dayton Scat Pack.

Gross weight is recorded for only seven versions: 2185 kg (3.5 AT RWD), 2250 kg (6 gen 3.6 AT), 2285 kg (3.5 AT AWD), 2310 kg (both 5th-generation 5.7 AT), 2382 kg (6 gen 5.7 AT RWD), 2472 kg (6 gen 5.7 AT AWD) and 2745 kg (3.0 AT). For all other versions it is not measured.

Ground clearance is 130 mm across the whole 5th generation and most of the 6th, 126 mm for the 6th-generation 6.4 AT, 124 mm for the restyled 3.6 AT and 5.7 AT, and 116 mm for the restyled 6.2 AT and 6.4 AT — the lowest recorded. For all of generations 1–4 and for the entire 7th generation, ground clearance is not measured.

Fuel tank: 80 l for every 3rd-generation version, 72 l for the 6th generation, 70 l for the restyling, 68 l for the 5th generation, and 66 l for the 7th-generation 3.0 AT. Not measured for generations 1, 2 and 4, and for the electric versions.

Wheel sizes appear for only four versions. The restyled 3.6 AT (both AWD and RWD) and 5.7 AT list 215/65 R17, 235/55 R18 and 235/55 R19; the 5th-generation 6.1 AT lists 245/45 R20 and 255/45 R20. For every other version wheel sizes are not measured.

Which version to choose

Cheapest to run of the V8 era. Among versions with measured consumption, the restyled 6.4 AT uses 13.1 l/100 km combined against 13.8 for the 6th-generation 6.4 AT — 0.7 l/100 km less — while making 15 hp and 7 Nm more (492/644 vs 477/637) and running to 290 km/h instead of 282. The restyling is the better car on every one of those axes.

V6 or V8 in the sedan. The restyled 3.6 AT (RWD) makes 296 hp and reaches 100 km/h in 6.8 s; the restyled 5.7 AT makes 375 hp — 79 hp more — for 5.7 s, 1.1 s quicker, at the cost of 149 kg more kerb weight (1934 vs 1785 kg). Consumption for both is not measured, so the running-cost comparison cannot be made from our data.

AWD or RWD. Where the same version exists in both drives, AWD costs weight and pace. The restyled 3.6 AT AWD weighs 1885 kg and takes 7.4 s; the RWD version weighs 1785 kg and takes 6.8 s — 100 kg and 0.6 s. In the 6th generation the 5.7 AT AWD weighs 2019 kg against 1929 kg for RWD, 90 kg more, with identical 6.0 s and 233 km/h. In the 5th generation the two 5.7 AT versions weigh the same 1860 kg with identical figures, so drive is the only difference recorded.

Maximum power. The supercharged restyled 6.2 AT is the most powerful combustion version: 717 hp and 881 Nm, 225 hp and 237 Nm above the restyled 6.4 AT, for 0.9 s less to 100 km/h (3.8 vs 4.7) and 39 km/h more top speed. It pays 75 kg in weight (2075 vs 2000 kg) and 1.6 l/100 km combined (14.7 vs 13.1).

The current generation. The electric AT Dayton Scat Pack (679 hp, 850 Nm) is the quickest thing in the catalogue at 3.3 s, 0.6 s ahead of the gasoline 3.0 AT (550 hp, 720 Nm, 3.9 s) despite the latter's 8 gears against a single. But its top speed is not measured, while the 3.0 AT is rated at 285 km/h; and the entry-level electric AT, at 496 hp and 2648 kg, is 463 kg heavier than the 3.0 AT and 0.8 s slower to 100 km/h.

A classic. Within the 2nd generation the 7.0 MT is the pick on paper: 425 hp and 664 Nm against 375 hp for either 7.2, 5.1 s to 100 km/h, and 5.8 l/100 km less in the city than the 7.0 AT (35.4 vs 39.9) — though the automatic is 17 km/h faster flat out (228 vs 211 km/h). In the 3rd generation the 5.6 MT carries the most power (240 hp) for the same 1661 kg as the far lazier 6.6 AT (190 hp), making it the clear choice there.