The new Dodge Charger will lose rear-wheel drive and get all-wheel drive

The global auto industry is facing big changes. Mopar, a division of Chrysler Group LLC that produces parts and services for Jeep, Fiat and other vehicles, is apparently ceasing production of the rear-wheel drive Dodge Charger.


Not long ago, the Hemi with an 8-cylinder gasoline engine was removed from the lineup. Now it has become known that the new Dodge Charger will only be produced with all-wheel drive.

Now buyers are offered a choice of twin-turbo in-line ICEs with a volume of 3 liters or electric Daytona units. Regardless of engine type, the new Dodge Charger will now have all-wheel drive.


The STLA Large platform from Stellantis, which is used to build this model, is flexible enough to accommodate all three types of drives. STLA allows the motor to be positioned both longitudinally and transversely. If they wanted, the engineers could have added rear-wheel drive to the Charger, but for some reason they didn’t. It's possible that potential demand for the Charger with RWD wasn't high enough to make offering both powertrains economically feasible.

However, muscle car fans needn't worry. In addition to the standard Eco, Sport and Track modes, the model will also get what Dodge describes as "racing options." There are five in total, and three of these options are for those who like to “drift.”


For example, Line Lock, like the system in any other car, is an axle lock. But in Dodge, however, it differs in that it turns off the torque on the front wheels, allowing the rear tires to spin. Drift Mode allows the driver to select the appropriate level of slip angle. In this mode, the bulk of the torque is transmitted to the rear wheels, and a small portion remains on the front axle, which allows you to drift. When Drift Mode is turned on, the front struts are in the soft position, while the rear struts are set in the hardest position.

The lack of a Hemi V8 and AWD may initially make die-hard Mopar fans hesitant about the new Charger. However, despite this, the car remains a representative of a rear-wheel drive muscle car with an impressive 420 “horses” from the Hurricane engine, multiple driving modes and the ability to choose between two or four doors. It is currently unknown whether rear-wheel drive will disappear forever or, alternatively, return in the future.