Dodge has updated its Charger sedan for
the 2019 model year, giving all variants some attention – albeit not enough to
hide the car’s age. Customers of the 2019 Dodge Charger will have heaps of
choice as the sedan will be sold in SXT, GT, SXT AWD, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, and
Hellcat guises.
Starting with the most exciting of
those, the Hellcat, the 2019 Charger comes with a host of upgrades first used
by the Dodge Challenger Demon. For example, the sedan has line lock, torque
reserve, After-Run Chiller, and launch assist.
The After-Run Chiller system works by
cooling the supercharger air cooler even after the engine has been shut off.
Meanwhile, the torque reserve closes a bypass valve to pre-fill the
supercharger and ensure optimal performance. Visually, the new Charger Hellcat
adopts 20-inch forged wheels, a satin black hood option and a bespoke front
grille with two large air intakes to cool the all-conquering engine.
One step down in the Charger range sits
the R/T Scat Pack. It gets similar visual upgrades as well as the line lock and
launch assist systems of the Hellcat. A set of three-mode Bilstein adaptive
dampers can even be optioned. Also available for 2019 are the R/T and SXT AWD.
The first of these has some tweaked exterior and interior components and pumps
out 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque from its 5.7-liter V8 engine.
Similarly, the SXT AWD benefits from
minor alterations to its looks and thanks to a Pentastar V6, produces a
respectable 300 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. As the name of the model implies,
it has all-wheel drive.
A second all-new addition to the range
is the 2019 Dodge Charger GT, featuring the same powertrain as the SXT AWD but
sold with different suspension, a 3.07 rear axle ratio, Dodge Performance
Pages, paddle shifters and an 8.4-inch Uconnect system.
Dodge will open order books for the 2019
Charger this month with the first vehicles landing in the hands of customers in
the third quarter of 2018.