Review by Veeno Dewan.

The 2027 Dodge Charger Sixpack R/T is the gasoline -powered, twin-turbocharged version of the next-generation Charger muscle car. Built in Canada. It is available in both 2-door coupe and 4-door sedan formats. Dodge has kept the trademark iconic modern muscle car looks in the styling department with some retro 1960s and 1970s styling cues inside and out.  The three-pointed vintage logo Fratzog returns along with iconic retro “Angry Bee” badges on the front fenders of the Scat Pack edition.

At the heart of the gasoline engined Charger is 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six engine with 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque. This powerful, state of the art power unit may not have the iconic ring of the legendary V8- Hemi, but rest assured, it is more than impressive. The transmission is an  8-speed automatic with as standard all-wheel drive (AWD) with a driver-selectable, rear-wheel drive “drift” mode for classic burnouts. The Scat Pack trim, has the high-output version of the six-cylinder engine with a tremendous  550 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque, enough to go from zero to 96 km/h (60 mph) in a quick 3.9 seconds. The standard-output Charger R/T as tested has 420 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque.

The 2027 Dodge Charger model comes in 4 trim levels. Canadian pricing ranges from $62,995 to $80,490. The entry-level, R/T AWD 3.0L model starts at $62,995. The mid-range R/T Plus, AWD trim is $70,990. The upgraded Scat Pack Plus AWD is $80,490.  Freight and PDI is $2,295. As standard equipment includes: a 12.3-inch infotainment display that features Dodge’s Uconnect 5 software interface. A 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster is also standard, with an optional larger 16.0-inch unit on some models. SiriusXM satellite radio, in-dash navigation, and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant are all included. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also present. There are three different Alpine stereo systems. The Scat Pack Plus trim adds more interior comforts and luxury. An optional and worthy upgrade package adds ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a wireless charging pad, power hatch, customizable ambient lighting, head-up display, performance data logs, a larger 16-inch digital driver display, power adjustable steering column, navigation display in the gauge cluster, voice commands, and more. Also added to our tester was the black top package, performance handling group and the full glass roof option.

Interior wise, the thoroughly modern cockpit has  a 10.25-inch cluster in front of the driver and another 12.3-inch centre display upgraded to a larger size. Cargo room is generous as both the two- and four-door models feature a rear liftback design rather than a standard trunk. It provides easy access to the storage compartment behind the rear seat.

the trunk is quite large at 644 L, the high lift over height and the dramatic slope of the Charger’s Sportback-like trunk hatch limit practicality a bit. the seats can fold 40:60 to open up 1,059 L of space if you need to hold longer items.

On the road, despite the extra weight, the Charger R/T has more than ample acceleration with smooth power delivery throughout the rev range. The suspension meanwhile offers  great on road dynamics. The full gamut of performance aids are present-  Line Lock and launch control modes with the AWD system set up to  send 100 per cent of the power to the rear wheels – the result is perfect smoke ridden  burnouts or strident  if so inclined,   Snow/wet mode locks power delivery front to rear at 50:50 for everyday cruising, while eco mode keeps RPMs low. Sport mode sharpens all the parameters and also enables  the active exhaust valves. There’s also a custom mode that allows drivers to configure the Charger how they want.

For such a large and heavy car cornering is  not as agile as one expects. However,  a well calibrated steering ration and responsive steering wheel enable more composed cornering than previous generations.

To sum up, the 2027 Dodge Charger is a lot of car and won’t disappoint buyers old and new looking for true American muscle car looks and performance. The new six-cylinder engine is powerful and up to the Hemi performance figures in the uprated form. Updated technology and a revised interior add more refinement, and of course the availability of both two- and four-door body styles adds to its appeal. Tantalizing news is that a V8 hemi powered version may make an appearance. however, the current R/T and Scat pack itineration’s of the Charger is just fine for most buyers, As superb rendition of an icon. Highly recommended.

2027 Dodge Charger R/T Plus -Price as tested. $82,160.

More info at www.dodge.ca