2006 Dodge Charger: First Look

By Motoring Channel Staff - 13/01/2005

The Dodge Charger is back - one of the biggest names from the muscle car era - powering its way out of a storied past and onto the stage at the 2005 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

"Similar to HEMI, the Charger name is powerful and draws from the Dodge brand's proud performance heritage," said Darryl Jackson, one of the big chiefs at Dodge.

"We have a tremendous amount of equity and name recognition for both of these entities. Combined, today's all-new Dodge Charger and HEMI engine effectively mark the return of modern muscle," said Jackson, perhaps intentionally forgetting about the return of the Pontiac GTO.

In keeping with tradition Dodge will offer buyers of the spacious and somewhat retro 4-door performance sedan a choice of two powerful HEMI engines.

The entry level powerplant is a V6 HEMI that outputs 250 horsepower, or about 184 kilowatts, which will supply the car with a good acceleratory kick.

The 5.7-litre V8 HEMI is the range topper and and generates a welcome 340hp, or 254kW, while churning out 525Nm of torque, which is almost as much twist as the standard tune 6.0-litre LS2 V8 from Chevy.

According to Dodge, this 5.7-litre HEMI engine offers more power and torque than any Dodge passenger car engine since the legendary 426 cubic inch HEMI of the 1960s and '70s.

The modern HEMI engine, however, has been engineered to deliver outstanding performance and reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), resulting in a highly refined powerplant.

As well as benefiting from larger 18-inch mags at the rear, the new V8 Charger features the Multiple Displacement System, or MDS. In layman's terms, MDS simply deactivates four cylinders in just 40 milliseconds when full V8 power is not needed, improving fuel economy by up to 20 percent.

So, for example, if you're cruising on the highway at low engine revs, the Dodge's V8 engine will cut off air and fuel to four of its eight cylinders, meaning you're driving with efficiency closer to 4-cylinder engine with a sub 3.0-litre capacity.

In addition to its advanced engine technologies, the new Dodge Charger can go round corners almost as well as its fires from 0-100km/h, thanks in large part to the rear-wheel drive transmission and a near 50:50 front:rear weight distribution.

Electronic driving aids form part of the new Charger's feature list, and though many die hard traditionalists will probably have a fit, the standard fitment of an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) will improve its crash test rating and crashworthiness dramatically.

The ESP constantly compares the driver's intended course with the vehicle's actual course and compensates for any differences. ESP, combined with an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and all-speed Traction Control with Emergency Brake Assist, will improve the Dodge Charger's traction, manoeuvrability and stability in all weather conditions.

The new Dodge is quite the performance sedan, but more than just focussing purely on 0-100km/h times, the new Dodge is aiming high, hoping to offer customers the best of both worlds - performance and practicality.

Pulling into the newest spot in the Dodge garage, the 2006 Dodge Charger offers a "bold, powerful and exciting choice" in the passenger car market, according to the American automaker. The Charger features comfortable room for five adults and enough boot space to meet the demands of active, modern lifestyles.

"We are excited about bringing back the Charger," said Darryl Jackson, vice president of marketing at Dodge. "But, we're even more excited to do it in a modern way that offers more convenience to our customers."

The Dodge Charger offers the clever and functional use of interior space and adds the convenience of four doors, and the look isn't too bad either, incorporating some retro styling cues with sleek modern lines and a trademark Dodge grille.

Inside the nouveau American muscle car, a driver-oriented cockpit designed with a performance mind-set surrounds the driver. In addition to the sporty and sleek instrument panel, with Viper-inspired tunnelled gauges highlighted with white faces, the interior is rather uncluttered and this minimalism appears to work well.

A silver trim bezel surrounding the gear stick and additional silver accents in the center stack add just the right touch of shine to the interior, and a two-tone interior helps give the cabin an "open feeling" in Dodge speak.

The target market for Dodge Charger includes trend setting, young affluent males with incomes from $65,000 - $90,000, meaning it probably won't be the cheapest of large sports sedans. Production of the 2006 Dodge Charger begins this (Northern) spring at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

The Dodge Charger will join the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 vehicles already built there. The Dodge Charger will be available in North American markets early this summer and in select markets in Latin America and the Middle East in late 2005.

Furthermore, and after a 30-year absence, the Dodge Charger will also return to the track beginning in February 2005. The historic Dodge Charger nameplate returns to NASCAR Nextel Cup competition as the successor to the race-winning Dodge Intrepid race cars of 2001- 2004, and to the storied Dodge Charger race cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s that earned several national championships. Following the adage that "racing improves the breed," (or is it "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday"?) motorsports competition has long been part of the Dodge heritage.

"We're very excited that the Charger is back," said Gerry Jenkins, managing director of Chrysler Jeep Australia.

"There is a certain mystique surrounding the Charger name. It evokes an enormous amount of memories for many Australians. Unfortunately the car won't be coming to Australia unless demand in other right hand drive countries increases significantly," said Jenkins.

"Whilst we would love to get the Charger and add it to our growing stable of products, the reality is it will probably never come here. However the good news is we will get the HEMI V8 engine later this year when the 5.7-litre V8 Chrysler 300C arrives," Jenkins said.

When the Chrysler Valiant Charger was launched in 1971 it was the fastest accelerating car ever built in Australia. Its famously powerful HEMI engine and aggressive looks earned the car cult status in Australia, stirring the adrenalin of an entire generation. Originally designed for a V16 fighter-plane in 1939, the HEMI engine was an instant favourite.

With racing pedigree and a history that spans the hallowed muscle car era, the new Charger range is powered by engines that stand to deliver serious performance and taught chassis' to match, but with the advent of four doors and a sizeable boot, it also hopes to win over those who want the best of both worlds - practicality and performance. Can such a marriage succeed? Will the purists spurn the new Charger? Let us know in our letters section.