by Dan Lyons

When it came to cars last year, Chrysler sizzled while others fizzled. Chrysler was the only one of the Big Three to gain market share in passenger cars in 2004. Sales for the brand rose 36%, largely on the strength of the classy 300 sedan and the high profile Hemi V-8. It’s been quieter on the Dodge side, though they’ve made some noise with Magnum, the car that gave people a reason to get excited about station wagons. Now, Dodge looks to keep the fires stoked with the roll-out of a four door to replace the outgoing Intrepid. The name they chose for their new sedan is as interesting as when it was named. Dodge dusted off one of its most revered badges from the muscle car era – Charger – for this new 2006. But, the name came late in the game – after the car was substantially complete - and that’s key. Dodge makes it clear that this is a new interpretation of their stylish, Sixties coupe. Call it muscle for the new millennium, call it a reincarnation, but don’t call it retro.

Of course, any old gearhead could tell you that this is no retro car, and they’d start by counting doors. The four portals on the new Dodge are exactly two more than you ever found on classic Sixties muscle cars like the original Charger. Why four doors? Dodge reasons that most potential buyers either don’t know the old school, Two Door Tenet, or they don’t care. We are mostly a nation of four doors these days, even some performance cars (consider the “pocket rocket” segment of subcompact street burners). Also, those old enough to remember the Two Door Tenet are now of an age where they also have to appreciate the Four Door Factor (the older one gets, the less inclined one is to squirm past the front seat to get in or out of the back). Another consideration is sales. Big two doors are perennially slow movers in the showroom, a fact that has more to do with practicality than pizzazz (see Four Door Factor). Finally, when you go retro, you run the risk of painting yourself into a corner. For example: if Dodge had styled the 2006 Charger as a tribute to their classic, 1968 models, what would they do next year? Design a ’69?

The new Charger most closely resembles its brother Magnum, and Dodge’s corporate DNA is visible from all angles. Up front, angled headlamps squint down on either side of the crosshair grille. Along side, wheel wells are tightly pulled over rolling stock. The car’s beltline gradually drops as it runs from north to south along the body, and the rounded roofline curves coupe-like into steeply angled backlight. The rear haunches are beefy, the deck lid ends with a slight, upturned lip. It’s a strong shape, and one that all seem to agree looks better live than in pictures.

A big shape too – and that size pays benefits inside the new Dodge. The tale of the tape shows that Charger stretches 200.1” over a 120” wheelbase, and tips the scales at 3,727-4,031 lb. Charger seats five, with comfortable, six-footer room in front and back. Row two seats spilt and fold forward, adding cargo carrying options to the generously sized (16.2 cubic feet) trunk. Up front, the cabin has a straight forward look. A cluster of four, white-faced gauges peers back at the driver through a four spoke wheel. Some interior plastics look a little, uh, plastic, but, satin finished metal trims spiff up the console and ring the gauges. Rheostat controls adjust HVAC and lights. Things get a little busier, button-wise, if you pick the navigation system (optional on R/T models), but it’s a workable array, with a 5.8” screen, an MP3 player, and 6-disc CD player. Back seat passengers don’t have to take a back seat to anyone when it comes to entertainment – provided that the owner springs for the optional, Video System. The unit integrates nicely with the center console and boasts a 7” LCD screen, battery powered remote control and two wireless multi-channel headsets.

Of course, many Charger buyers will prefer the sound of the engine to the radio – at least those who buy Hemi-powered models. The 5.7 liter Hemi V-8 is rated at 340 hp, 390 lb. ft. of torque. The exhaust note is notable: a civilized, ‘round town rumble, not loud enough to be tiring or intrusive. Added to that is a throaty Hemi howl when you crack the throttle wide open. The Hemi posts performance numbers that would do its ancestors proud. It’s capable of running from 0-60 in six seconds flat. And, Chrysler’s Multi-Displacement System shuts down four cylinders when not needed, saving as much as 20% on fuel economy. At 55 mph, the V-8 lopes along at 1,750 rpm. EPA rates the Hemi at 17 mpg’s city/25 highway; pretty fair, for a 4,100 lb. sedan with that kind of firepower. The Hemi is standard on R/T models, while base, SE and mid-level, SXT models get a 250 hp, 250 lb. ft. of torque, 3.5 liter V-6. Dodge expects that fully 70% of Charger’s initial buyers will opt for the Hemi, but value shoppers will like the six. Many shekels cheaper than the Hemi, it offers good power and a skosh better economy (19/27). Both motors are connected to five speed automatic transmissions with AutoStick. They are smooth and quick from cog to cog and the ratios line up well with the engine’s power bands.

Charger’s chassis is closely related to Magnum and the Chrysler 300; with independent front (Short- and Long-arm) and rear (Multi-link) suspension. It’s a rear wheel drive platform, with a host of standard electronic ride and handling aids, such as Electronic Stability Program with Brake Assist, Anti-lock Brakes and All-Speed Traction Control System. Lack of an All Wheel Drive option is a surprise. It is available on both of Charger’s closest siblings (300 and Magnum) and increasingly offered on sedans that the Dodge will be competing with in the marketplace. True, AWD interest tends to be specific to snow belt states. And, the combination of snow tires, weight balance (Charger is 53%f/47%r) and electronic traction aids go along way towards making winter travel uneventful in rear wheel drive cars. But bottom line, nothing beats All Wheel Drive for traversing wintry slop, and since the hardware could be easily added, I would expect Dodge to reconsider their position in future model years. Seventeen inch tires are standard on SE and SXT models, with eighteens on R/T cars. Available optionally on R/T models is a Road/Track Performance Group that adds firmer suspension components and beefier (235/55 R18) tread. Fine tuning the exhaust and induction system finds another 10 hp for the Hemi and adds a little more throat to the engine note.

Price-wise, the Charger lineup breaks down as follows: R/T ($ 29,995), SE ($22,995) and SXT ($25, 995). A limited series of Daytona package cars will be offered as well. Built in numbered editions of 4,000 each, Daytonas ($32,495) will be R/T models, equipped with the Performance Group and a more aggressive exhaust note. Daytona highlights will include model-specific badging and blackout trim outside; suede seat inserts, Daytona logos, body color accents and a sequentially numbered badge inside. Each run of Daytonas will be painted in a bright hue with a classic Mopar paint name from the 60’s, starting with Go ManGo. Chrysler had a lot of wild handles for their colors back then (InViolet, Panther Pink, TorRed, SubLime, Plum Crazy, Vitamin C Orange…) so the editions could conceivably keep spinning out for quite some time. Daytona is the top of the food chain - for now. Waiting in the wings – an SRT-8 Charger, with a 425 hp, 6.1 liter Hemi.

My test drive of the new Charger models included a steady diet of city/country roads with all models and lap time with R/T cars at Virginia International Racecourse. In town and on the highway, Charger is quiet and comfortable. While I’ve not yet been able to test it out on the roads of my native Northeast (our motto: Land of 1,000 Potholes), the base suspension is smooth and tight; the performance setup seems taut, not harsh and has fine track manners. The Daytona is a skosh stiffer, has slightly sharper reflexes and – for those who like the sound of a V-8 at work – it’s got a nice bark. The 3.0 V-6 is a fine all around performer, smooth and quiet at highway speeds. The Hemi is a hoot on the racetrack and otherwise, with ready power at all engine speeds. The automatic transmission doesn’t miss a beat with either motor.

Using the classic, Charger name will raise an eyebrow from purists, but Dodge views the new Charger as a spiritual successor to the old model, not a retro replacement. Seen in its own light, regardless of its name, Charger builds on Magnum’s success, giving Dodge a large sedan with a distinctive personality. And, it adds another log on the passenger car fire that Chrysler is tending.

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