Earlier this week, Stellantis lifted the veil on the new 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona, the brand’s first electric car. It will be sold in the form of a two-door coupe, thus taking the configuration of the Dodge Challenger. The manufacturer also surprised more than one by unveiling the 2025 Dodge Charger at the same time, a four-door sedan that will arrive in 2025, a year after the Load Daytona and which will mark the return of the gasoline engine on board.
Some saw in this surprise a glimmer of hope thinking that the Dodge Challenger, whose production ceased last December, could return to the market despite the announcement of its disappearance. However, a Dodge spokesperson mentioned in an interview that there are no plans at this time for the Challenger, adding that while this may be disappointing for enthusiasts who were hoping for a new Challenger, the Charger EV will technically take the place of the sports coupe. And no, the Dodge Challenger will not return to the market, at least not in the short or medium term.
Dodge has several names on the shelves that have marked certain eras, the Challenger name, which has been part of the Dodge range since the early 1970s, will join them. We will remember that the third generation, the most recent, was introduced in 2008. Since then, the manufacturer has continued to market ever more powerful iterations, including the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, Hellcat, Redeye and Demon.
The Dodge Charger receives all the honors
The Charger will be available in two- and four-door configurations with several classic variants such as R/T and Scat Pack. In terms of size, the new Charger Daytona coupe is larger than the Challenger it replaces, both in wheelbase and overall length. This more imposing size will, according to the manufacturer, provide a little more space on board.
Although Stellantis has confirmed that the V8 engine will not be back, it intends to focus on its new inline 6-cylinder engine called Hurricane. The latter will join the electric motorization.
Our opinion
Dodge thus puts an end to the hopes of enthusiasts, at least for the moment, because we know that it is not uncommon for manufacturers to change their minds, especially when the competition forces their hand. The disappearance of the Challenger will undoubtedly have an effect among collectors, the most sought-after versions now on the list of missing could quickly increase in value.
