The 2024 Charger Daytona , the American brand's first electric car, has officially made its debut after a wait of almost two years.
We've seen the concept on the floor of many an auto show, but now Dodge has presented for real the production model and shared details surrounding it. Or of the first two variants coming to market anyways.
Take note that Dodge will be unveiling several more versions over the course of the year. In fact, the next 12 months will see the birth of a new Dodge Charger lineup, starting with the two electric variants unveiled today.
The Charger Daytona R/T and Charger Daytona Scat Pack
The first two models to be offered get familiar names: R/T and Scat Pack. Each comes in coupe format and offers different performance levels.
While each benefits from a 100.5-kWh battery (93.9 kWh usable), the output it delivers is different. With the R/T model, we're talking 456 hp and 404 lb-ft of torque, while the Scat Pack variant offers 630 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque.
If that's not enough, a Power Shot mode can be accessed via a button on the steering wheel to provide additional power for 15 seconds. This increases output to 496 and 670 hp, respectively, for those short bursts.
For 0-97 km/h (0-60 mph) times, Dodge says 4.7 and 3.3 seconds, respectively.
This is Dodge, after all, where performance is the main calling card, so designers pulled out all the stops. In addition to the impressive figures, the models get a host of other features that will make them beasts on the road... and on the track.
Notably, the brake system and shock absorber adjustments differ from one model to the next. It's even extreme with the Track Pack offered with the Scat Pack version. 16-inch brakes with ventilated discs and six pistons at the front (four at the rear) are available.
There are even 20-inch tires staggered front to rear (305 and 325 mm).
And let's not forget the numerous driving modes available with each variant. Just to give you an idea, the Scat Pack version offers Donut and Drift settings.
And a host of other performance options will follow as the range is enhanced over the course of the year.
Range and charging on the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona
For range, here's what's been announced: 510 km for the R/T model, 418 for the Scat Pack.
The models integrate an on-board 11 kW charger, which can boost energy levels from 5 to 80 percent in 6.9 hours, compared with 5.5 hours from 20 to 80 percent on a Level 2 home charger.
On an ultra-fast terminal (Level 3), we're talking about 32.5 and 27.6 minutes, in that order.
The Dodge Charger Daytona is built on a 400-volt architecture and is the first model from the Stellantis group to be based on the STLA Large structure for electric vehicles.
Design and future versions
Today’s reveal didn’t show us much new about the design of the new Charger, since we've been seeing it in a form very close to production for the past two years. It takes up the spirit of the Dodge Chargers of the time. The big difference is the three-door configuration, while the rear hatchback offers an interesting cargo volume.
Specifically, trunk capacity is an excellent 644 litres. Folding down the second-row seats increases volume to 1059 litres. There's even a small trunk at the front, under the vehicle's aluminum hood. That said, the Charger Daytona weighs in at a hefty 5838 lb.
As for future versions, it's quite simple, really. The two variants presented today go into production this summer, with other variants following suit in the first quarter of 2025. Those other variants will be four-door versions of the models unveiled today, but also gasoline versions equipped with the 3.0L turbocharged 6-cylinder “Hurricane” engine.
In those cases, two models will be offered - the Charger SixPack coupe, fitted with the most powerful version of the engine (High Output), and the Charger SixPack sedan, powered by the regular version of the Hurricane engine (Small Output).
Output will be 550 hp with the former, 420 with the latter.
All versions of the 2024 Charger will be built at the Canadian plant in Windsor, Ontario.
Inside
The interior layout is dominated by screens. The centre console features a 12.3-inch screen for the multimedia system. In front of the driver, the standard unit is 10.25 inches, while a 16-inch screen is available.
Fabric and vinyl are standard for the seats, but higher-grade leathers are available for the bucket seats of more luxurious versions.
There's even 64-colour ambient lighting, part of a system called Attitude Adjustment. It changes colour according to current driving style and can also be controlled by the driver according to selected driving modes.
The final word
The Dodge product family has been reduced to a single model with the disappearance of the familiar Charger and Challenger models at the end of 2023. The arrival of a new vehicle is major for the brand and its survival.
The big question is whether the brand’s fans, who have always thrived on performance and thundering gasoline-powered mechanics, will accept the principle of an electric muscle car.