06:08 10-11-2025

Dodge rethinks the Charger: V8 Hemi may return to the lineup

Dodge looks ready to reconnect with what made the nameplate resonate. After the mixed reception of the electric Charger Daytona, Stellantis leadership has reassessed its course and is now open to putting a gasoline V8 back in the new Charger. Dodge CEO Matt McAlear indicated that a V8 under the hood should surprise no one — a remark that became the clearest signal yet for brand loyalists.

The most likely candidate is the 5.7-liter Hemi, rated at about 395 hp and 556 Nm of torque. The engine has already been adapted to the STLA Large platform that underpins the new Charger and the Ram 1500. Paired with classic rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, it would restore the model’s old-school character.

Today’s Charger R/T with the Sixpack six-cylinder makes 420 hp, while the electric Scat Pack Plus delivers up to 670. Yet even if the gasoline setup trails on paper, it promises what fans are waiting for — the sound, the response, the emotion. Out on the road, that mix often matters more than the raw numbers.

Dodge isn’t naming exact timing, and the potential V8 return is more than a nod to nostalgia. It’s an admission that drive and character can’t be replicated by speakers. The Charger could once again stand as a straightforward expression of American muscle.