Test Drive: 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack R/T – Can an Inline-Six Save the Muscle Car?

The Dodge Charger has taken a hard fall. In its first major redesign in over a decade, the brand initially led with battery-electric powertrains. Transitioning a car whose entire persona was built around the outrageous roar and performance of a V8 to pure electric power did not go well—sales collapsed from 75,920 units in 2023 to just 9,562 the following year. Who could have seen that coming?

Now, Dodge is trying to remedy the situation by adding gas-engine Charger Sixpack models to the lineup, named after their turbocharged inline-six Hurricane engines. The engine is offered in two power tiers: the top-dog Scat Pack delivers 550 horsepower, while the base R/T puts out 420 horses. As a rule, it's the base engines that drive primary sales volume.

A second factor contributing to the sales drop was that the new model was initially offered exclusively as a two-door. That misstep has also been corrected, with a full four-door body style now available across the lineup. Subjectively, the four-door does at least as good a job channeling the rugged styling of classic late-'60s models as the coupe. Furthermore, Dodge doesn't skimp on decoration: the R/T can be fully decked out with factory badges—such as dual racing stripes featuring the embossed Fratzog logo running the length of the hood, glass roof, and decklid, along with massive 20-inch wheels. It's hard to mistake the car for a rental fleet special, and it clearly turns heads on the road.

Colossal Dimensions and Excessive Weight

The four-door and two-door Chargers share the exact same dimensions, and those dimensions are XXL. The new model rides on a 121-inch wheelbase, while the body itself is more than eight inches longer, nearly five inches wider, and an inch taller than its predecessor. Because the gas version shares its platform and body with the heavy EV variant, it creates massive weight issues.

The Charger R/T tips our scales at a hefty 4,921 pounds (about 2,232 kg), putting it in the same weight class as large SUVs. It is 540 pounds heavier than the old V8 R/T from 2015. Engineering a single platform to serve both EV and gas duties inevitably results in bloated mass.

Because of these proportions—measuring nearly 5.25 meters long, with a width approaching full-size pickups—keeping the car precisely centered in narrow lanes is a real challenge. The situation is worsened by poor outward visibility: the massive, sculpted hood blocks the view directly in front of the bumper, while the oversized plastic housing for the cabin camera on the windshield eats up a substantial portion of the forward view.

Performance and the Character of the Inline-Six

The 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged Hurricane inline-six produces 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque. This is an improvement over the old 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (370 hp and 395 lb-ft), but due to the staggering weight, real-world acceleration on the move hasn't noticeably improved.

• Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) utilizing launch control takes 4.7 seconds (compared to 5.1 seconds for the old V8).
• Mid-range acceleration runs like 30-to-50 mph or 50-to-70 mph actually take slightly longer than the predecessor.
• The quarter-mile drag strip run is completed in 13.3 seconds at 105 mph.

All-wheel drive comes standard, but Sport mode allows drivers to temporarily disconnect the front axle, shifting into a rear-wheel-drive mode for dramatic tail-sliding drifts.

The exhaust note is a polarizing subject. Dodge tried to give the inline-six a deep voice, but it sounds nothing like the melodic rumble of a classic V8. At idle, the engine lets out a loud brapp, sounding like a car with a broken muffler in a parking lot. Under hard acceleration, it sounds better, but during highway cruising, it settles into a monotonous low-rpm drone. Perhaps instead of awkward attempts to mimic a V8, it would have been better to lean into the inherent smoothness of the inline-six configuration, similar to how it's tuned in Ram pickups.

Suspension and Handling

The test car was equipped with the stiffer suspension from the Performance Handling Group ($2,995 package), which also includes high-performance Brembo brakes, Performance bucket seats, launch control, and a line-lock function.

The ride is firm without being punishing. It helps the heavy muscle car keep body roll in check through corners, but in tight turns, the car feels ponderous and prone to heavy understeer. Grip from the standard all-season tires is average (0.89 g), and the 70-to-0 mph stopping distance came in at 181 feet—11 feet longer than the old V8 R/T. The brake pedal feels slightly mushy at the top of its travel. Steering is light by default, though Sport mode adds some welcome weight and heft.

Interior, Technology, and Practicality

The cabin feels light-years ahead in terms of modernity. Base models feature a 10.3-inch instrument cluster display (upgrading to 16.3 inches on higher trims), paired with a central 12.3-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5, complete with physical volume and tuning knobs.

Space: There is plenty of room upfront, and the long wheelbase provides generous rear legroom. However, the sloping roofline limits headroom, and getting in and out requires stepping over a fairly wide door sill.

Cargo: The liftback design opens up a massive aperture and swallows 23 cubic feet of gear (up to 38 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down).

Materials: While the patterned door panels and dashboard accents with ambient lighting look striking, touching them reveals hard plastic throughout. Testers also encountered minor assembly quirks—specifically, the plastic backing on the driver's seat kept popping loose.

Pricing and Verdict

The base two-door Charger R/T starts at $51,990, while the four-door version costs $53,990. Higher trims like the R/T Plus start at $58,985 (and climb further with options). For comparison, the outgoing V8 R/T cost around $46,000 in its final model year.

The new Charger Sixpack R/T is fast, tech-forward, and practical, but it carries a heavy burden of compromises stemming from its shared EV platform. It lacks the charm and light-footed character of its predecessor. Given how Stellantis has recently reversed course on other products (like bringing Hemi power back to the Ram 1500, Durango, and Wrangler), seeing a V8 return to the Charger wouldn't be a surprise at all. And that might just be its best hope.