Patience is a Virtue
Patience becomes a necessity when waiting is your only option. I’ve been impatiently waiting to drive the new 2026 Dodge Charger since Stellantis started dropping hints about it in 2023.
A new Dodge Charger? With two doors, electric power, and straight-six engine options? As a traditionalist when it comes to the definition of a “muscle car,” I was doubtful at first. But I’m also a believer in “Mopar or No Car,” and unlike many who abandoned the brand when Stellantis announced the end of the Hemi V8, I stayed, willing to give this new strategy a fair shot before considering a departure.
2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Six Pack
Now, my loyalty was being rewarded with the key fob to a brand-new 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack with a thunderous Hurricane “Six Pack” engine crammed under a bright orange hood. The Charger nameplate is classic, and this new generation is a reboot on a popular franchise. Does it live up to the iconic name?
I say yes.
It Looks Like a Muscle Car
One thing photos won’t justify is the car’s size. This is a contemporary land yacht. It’s wide, long, tall and brawny, with clear evidence of past Dodge Charger generations inspiring its exterior design. The front end, marked by a dark rectangular grille hiding dual square LED headlamps and a full-width light bar, is a dead ringer for a 1968 Dodge Charger. The car’s profile, with glass Coke-bottle curves and a razor-sharp roofline, shows a family resemblance to the 1969–70 Charger, especially dressed in Peel Out Orange ($795), shown in photos.
The sleek fastback and full-length LED taillight will make muscle car historians think of the first Dodge Charger from 1966–67. In a way, the 2026 Dodge Charger’s design is a tribute to all the greats that paved the way for it to be here.
The model shown in the photos is the two-door Scat Pack, but a four-door variant is coming soon. As a result, this two-door coupe offers interior space more commonly found in a four-door sedan.
Evidence that this sports coupe is preordained to be a sports sedan is apparent when you open the door and notice that it’s long enough to take up a parking space. The back seat is easier to access when the front bucket seat is moved forward, and once you you’re in, you’re greeted with ample legroom and little fear of bumping your head.
2026 Dodge Charger Interior Has Attitude
The front bucket seats are the standout seats inside. You get a dashboard with so much space between your seat belt and the windshield it could double as a family mantle.
The door panels flow into the dashboard, creating a wraparound effect complete with ambient lighting Dodge calls “Attitude Adjustment Lighting,” with a default color of blue to inspire a sense of calm for the driver while under constant temptation of horsepower.
The interior presentation is impressive, with an optional full-glass roof ($1,395) and leather and suede bucket seats accented with carbon fiber texture and suede on the center console and dashboard ($2,095). Those looking to spice up the interior can opt for Demonic Red seats ($495) or an 18-speaker Alpine premium audio system with a subwoofer ($1,795).
Another interior highlight is the large hatch, which opens like a clamshell to reveal the rear cargo area. There’s plenty of room for essentials, and if you need more, the rear seats fold flat. One detail I appreciate is the easy access to the car’s battery by lifting the trunk floor panel.
Interior Design Quirks with the 2026 Dodge Charger
As cool and contemporary as the interior design may be, it isn’t without its faults. The buttons for the power seat memory functions are located where a driver would rest their knee. More than once, I accidentally placed my left knee on these buttons, causing the power-operated seat to come alive and shape-shift while driving. It’s enough to give you a fright and momentarily make you think the car is possessed and trying to get you.
Then there’s the steering wheel, and the microscopic paddle shifters tucked behind it. These are the smallest paddle shifters I’ve encountered, smaller than a kitten’s ear, letting you shift with only one or two fingers. Directly under the paddle shifters are controls for the audio system, so you risk changing radio stations instead of changing gears in the heat of a fierce battle with speed.
The PRNDL shifter on the center console looks like a video game controller minus a little red button to fire missiles. It feels ergonomic when you grab it, but it only functions as an automatic shifter. It does not let you slide it over to manually shift gears like a semi-automatic, nor does it have a mechanical, ratchet feel as you’d expect in a performance car — a wasted opportunity.
550HP Hurricane Six Pack Packs a Punch
These interior nitpicks are noticeable but don’t distract from the Charger Scat Pack’s intended purpose — power. This variant runs using Dodge’s Hurricane 3.0L twin-turbocharged inline-six engine dubbed the “Six Pack,” producing a hearty 550 hp and 531 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is standard, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission to propel this large car from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and onward to a top speed of 177 mph (manufacturer claim).
How to do Burnouts in 2026 Dodge Charger Six Pack
Best of all, the car is smart enough to direct all this power to the rear wheels only if you desire. In sport mode, the center screen displays a tab labeled “RWD.” Pressing that directs all power to the rear wheels and turns off the traction control.
If you follow this by holding the traction control button for several seconds, you’ll hear a bong, and a message on the instrument cluster appears letting you know the Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) is turned off. The Charger is now a fully-fledged muscle car ready to rip the Goodyear rubber off the back tires in a frenzy of circles.
25 MPG on Premium Fuel
On the road, the Charger Six Pack moves like a meteor entering the atmosphere. It swallows 91-octane fuel to slice through the air at triple-digit speeds, making acceleration feel effortless. You get the impression this car could easily maintain a comfortable pace of 150 mph until the gas tank runs dry. Fuel economy ranged from 20 to 25 mpg, depending on how heavy my right foot was that day.
The starting price for the gas-powered 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack stands at $55,000 and climbs to $60,000 for the Scat Pack Plus, which offers more features as standard. Go crazy with the options, and you’ll see the MSRP pass $70,000.
I was relieved to enjoy this car. Not only did it check off my personal marks for approval, but it also serves as a solid foundation of potential. There’s so much more to be squeezed out of this platform. The car’s impressive ground clearance and all-wheel drive system had me imagining this Charger with some all-terrain tires, metal skid plates and an off-road drive mode for some high-speed trail blazing.
This is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to see what Dodge has planned.
