2022 Dodge Charger Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The current Dodge Charger has run on essentially the same platform since 2005. That platform, which is shared with the Dodge Challenger coupe and the Chrysler 300 sedan, actually originated with an even older vehicle: the Mercedes-Benz E-Class from the Daimler-Chrysler days. But what Dodge has done with that platform is impressive. The Charger underwent a major interior and exterior update for the 2011 model year, and it was then again heavily facelifted for 2015. Whereas its Challenger coupe counterpart doubled down on the throwback muscle-car styling, the 2015 Charger design that carries over to this model year is more modern—and menacing.

While the exterior was updated for 2015, the cabin soldiered on and now looks dated by modern standards, as cool as the available red seatbelts may be. The latest automotive cabins feature thin-screen bezels and minimalist cockpits. The Charger’s cabin almost has a small-truck feel with its thick bezels and chunky buttons and dials. While it’s not the most cutting-edge cockpit, what it lacks in modernity, it more than makes up for in ease of use.

Trims for the 2022 Dodge Charger are SXT, GT, R/T, Scat Pack 392, Hellcat, Redeye, and Jailbreak. The SXT trim comes standard with a V6 engine, power-adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery, a six-speaker stereo, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Charger GT also comes with the base V6 engine, albeit with a slight bump in output. It also adds a rear spoiler, sport-tuned suspension, and performance tires, with an Alpine premium stereo system, navigation, and upgrades the infotainment system to an 8.4-inch touchscreen inside.

The R/T trim is the most affordable option to feature a V8 engine. Its standard equipment list largely follows that of the GT, including the performance suspension and upgraded tires. A Harmon Kardon premium stereo system is available on this and the other higher-tier trims.

The Scat Pack 392 gets a larger V8, along with launch control, a high-performance suspension, a limited-slip rear differential, and Brembo performance brakes. The Scat Pack also adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

We drove the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody. The Hellcat is the variant that breathed new life into the Charger back for the 2015 model year, but the Widebody (introduced for 2020 and carried over since then) is what turned this high-powered supercharged full-size sedan into a properly well-rounded performance machine. It was so good at doing this that the Hellcat now comes standard with the Widebody setup.

The Hellcat (and all of the following variants) features a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 engine, an SRT-tuned Bilstein suspension, and upgraded Brembo brakes, along with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, Laguna leather upholstery, and heated and ventilated front seats.

The Redeye features an even more powerful version of the Hellcat engine, as well as improved engine cooling. Finally, the Jailbreak brings the supercharged V8 to an even hotter tune. In addition to these trims, there are a number of performance and appearance upgrade packages depending on the trim selected.

The Dodge Charger SXT and GT models use a 3.6-litre V6 engine that harkens all the way back to the 2011 model year. Today, it makes 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque in base form. In the SXT AWD and GT trims, the V6 puts out 300 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque.

From here on in, it’s all eight-cylinder power. The venerable R/T trim leverages a 5.7-litre Hemi V8, putting out 370 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. A true performance bargain is the Scat Pack 392, which comes equipped with a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 making 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque.

From there, output makes a significant jump to 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, thanks to the supercharged 6.2-litre Hemi V8 in the Charger SRT Hellcat. If, for some reason, this is not enough power, the SRT Hellcat Redeye and SRT Jailbreak both come with the same-sized engine, but the Redeye is tuned to put out an astonishing 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque. The Jailbreak model pushes things even further, to 807 hp (Dodge doesn’t list a torque figure for the Jailbreak). This is supercar-level power at a very un-supercar price.

All engines route power through a Torqueflite eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is standard across the board as well, but the V6-powered SXT and GT trims are also available with all-wheel drive (AWD).

It should come as no surprise that the Hellcat drivetrain delivers incredible acceleration. The Hellcat and the Redeye sprint from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds (0-100 km/h times aren’t available) and our Hellcat has a top speed of 315 kilometres per hour, according to Dodge’s specs. With the whine of the supercharger and the growl from the exhaust, the Charger Hellcat rockets you forward, whether you are at standstill or already cruising along at highway speeds. There’s torque at every corner, and it doesn’t matter which gear you are in, this engine wants rubber to break free from the road. And that is where the Widebody setup comes into play.

The Hellcat Widebody features 11-inch-wide Pirelli P-Zero tires, which allow the Hellcat to put the power down more effectively. The wider track also allows the big Charger to take a corner faster and with more precision. Ever since the Widebody came out, it has been the go-to option for anyone looking to do things other than burnouts and quarter miles. Even with the help of traction control, the rear tires want to break free, and that’s even with about 50 percent throttle application.

The traction control, throttle response, steering feel, and suspension settings can be toggled via the SRT Performance Pages menu on the in-dash touchscreen. Simply hit the SRT button in the dash and you can choose Auto, Sport, Track, or Custom drive modes.

In normal driving, the Charger Hellcat is surprisingly composed—in the Auto drive mode, at least. It can soak up some bumps in the road, but is still there to deliver a thrilling ride. Push the button to Track mode, though, and you had better hold on.

The Charger is a large sedan, but it doesn’t always feel large. The tall transmission tunnel makes for a high centre console, and the performance bucket seats that keep you planted around corners also make for an intimate experience from the driver’s seat. Both rows offer plenty of legroom, but depending on how you sit, headroom will be limited. The rear seats are also tight on headroom, especially getting in and out of that rear bench.

Whereas the newest cars on the market provide plenty of space for storing multiple water bottles in the door, the aging Charger is not as accommodating. The centre console bin is smaller than that of most modern sedans, as are the trays around the shifter.

The Charger provides 467 litres of trunk space. However, it has a small trunk lid and high rear bumper, meaning filling that trunk with large items will take some maneuvering and effort. But take into consideration that with the R/T and Hellcat trims, you’re getting sports-car performance with four doors and a usable trunk. This makes the Charger far more versatile than many cars it can also outrun.

The Charger has come a long way from its mid-2000s beginnings. It now comes standard with a 7-inch touchscreen that runs the Uconnect infotainment system. It’s easy to use and has been the standard by which other infotainment systems are measured. A key component to that simple layout is a dock area at the bottom with large icons for major functions, such as stereo, navigation, vehicle settings, and more. Optional on the base SXT and standard on the rest of the lineup is an 8.4-inch version of the Uconnect screen. It has largely the same layout, but it's easier to use thanks to larger icons. Both screens come standard with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Is the Charger the most advanced car on the road today? Nope. Far from it. But where the Charger is in terms of technology and how it is blended with conventional controls should be a lesson for automakers that are giddily careening towards oversized touchscreens at the expense of the user experience.

This is where the Charger truly shows its age. In an age where even an economical compact car like a Toyota Corolla comes with a long list of driver-assistance features, the Charger offers only a backup camera and rear parking sensors as standard equipment. And that backup camera shows as a grainy, pixelated image on the Uconnect screen in the centre of the dash.

Luckily, you can get some modern safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert as options.

The Charger sees middling performance in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, scoring a Marginal rating in the driver’s side overlap test. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Charger a five-star overall safety rating.

The most efficient Charger configuration is the V6 with RWD. It returns 12.4 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 7.8 on the highway, and 10.3 combined. With the SXT or GT AWD, this engine returns 12.8 L/100 km city, 8.7 highway, and 11.0 combined. The 5.7-litre V8 in the R/T returns 14.7 L/100 km city, 9.4 highway, and 12.3 combined. The 6.4-litre V8 in the Scat Pack 392 returns 15.8 L/100 km city, 9.6 highway, and 13.0 combined.

The least-efficient powertrain (unsurprisingly) is the more potent 6.2-litre supercharged V8 in the Redeye and Jailbreak models, returning 19.0 L/100 km city, 11.5 highway, and 15.6 combined. The 6.4-litre engine and the supercharged 6.2-litre engines require premium fuel.

Base MSRP for the 2022 Dodge Charger is $41,165 for the SXT with RWD. The GT trim starts at $44,265. The Charger R/T starts at $47,165, the Charger Scat Pack 392 starts at $57,015, and our recommended Scat Pack 392 Widebody starts $65,015. The SRT Hellcat Widebody starts at $91,565. The SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody starts at $107,565 and the range-topping SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak starts at $112,860. Delivery charges vary from $1,895 to $2,795. At first, $110,000 for a Charger sounds ridiculous, but consider the fact that it offers supercar performance for a fraction of the price. That’s a deal any way you cut it.

The current Dodge Charger is nearing the end of its new-vehicle production run out of Brampton, Ontario, soon to be replaced by a high-powered electric vehicle. This zero-emissions EV is sure to be blisteringly fast and deliver dynamic performance, but there’s nothing quite like the sound of a snarling V8 engine. The future for EVs is exciting, but with this mass transition in mind, driving a car like our Charger Hellcat Widebody test car in 2022 has a special meaning to it. Call it a living fossil. Call it nostalgia on four wheels. We call it fun.

Note: Images show a US model.