Chrysler officially pulled the cover off its upcoming 2011 Dodge Charger sedan this week, showing the evolutionary changes to the bodywork, as well as the revolutionary changes elsewhere in the updated car. With more curves, more power and better fit & finish, Dodge’s flagship looks like a real competitor. Read on for details, pictures and the press release.
Re-introduced for the 2006 model year after a several-year hiatus, the Dodge Charger revived a nameplate which had sunken into ignominy in the 1980s, with the only highlight being the “Shelby Edition” of 1987, and sharing its platform with the Dodge Charger Daytona, which had a couple of performance models as well.
The new model has sold reasonably well, and has been picked up by a plethora of police departments to use as cruisers, an alternative to Ford and Chevrolet’s offerings.
Despite a modicum of success, we’ve now been looking at the same Charger for 5 years, so it’s high time for a real update, and Chrysler has given it to us. The sheetmetal hasn’t changed a whole lot, but has gained a lot of curves, including a rear end that evokes thoughts of its 2-doored brother, the Dodge Challenger.
Classic 5-spoke chrome wheels and a fastback-styled rear end make the new Charger look more like a coupe, so it’ll be interesting to put it next to a Challenger. Purists will still buy the Challenger, of course, but anyone who has a regular use for those rear doors will skip it and go to the new Charger.
No word on the inside, but given the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I’m going to bet that the materials and how they fit together are all improved, with softer-touch materials and a more upscale appearance overall.
While they haven’t released pictures of the interior, Chrysler has gone into great detail on how they are differentiating the new interior from its predecessor. Triple-sealed doors, acoustically-treated windshield and front side glass, as well as extra sound deadening material ought to give us a very quiet interior.
On the power front, the Charger will come standard with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, Chrysler’s new corporate V6. Optional will be a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, with a 4-cylinder mode when only a small amount of power is called for.
Expect all the standard safety features, including traction control, stability control, predictive braking (where the braking system prepares to be used based on environment variables).
On the infotainment front, Chrysler vehicles can be optioned with uConnect, which combines Bluetooth, satellite radio, navigation and other high-tech goodies.
The 2011 Dodge Charger will enter production late this year, so I’d expect to see them on dealership lots by Christmas, but no later than mid-January if all goes well.
Show Press Release
Dodge Brand Product Onslaught Continues: Introducing The All-new 2011 Dodge Charger, World-class Performance And Precision With An Iconic Soul
October 5, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – With its iconic character, contemporary fastback four-door coupe proportions, world-class performance, craftsmanship and refinement, and state-of-the-art connectivity features, the all-new 2011 Charger is the Dodge brand’s flagship that proudly delivers premium, world-class E-segment sedan precision at an incredible value.
The efficient and aerodynamic exterior of the 2011 Dodge Charger is spiritually inspired by the iconic second-generation Charger from the late 1960s, featuring a design that is sure to strike an emotional chord with Dodge performance enthusiasts of all generations.
With its sinister “ready to attack the road” face, the all-new Dodge Charger puts the world’s best E-segment sedan competitors between its new “split crosshair” signature grille. Its sculpted all-new body is a conscious nod to its deep heritage and muscle-car roots. The Charger’s profile is also a modern affair, a result of countless hours in the wind tunnel, from its lower hood line, faster windshield and radically raked back headlights to its tighter wheel openings, lower sill and race-car-like flat underbody, the Charger effortlessly cuts thought the air with its attitude intact. The aluminum hood features dual “scallops” that bring a sculptured, performance look to the front end, while large body-side scallops deliver a striking undulating A-line across the doors. Running front to rear is the iconic horizontal “coke bottle” or “double-diamond” body-side styling that creates a tapering silhouette accented with muscular front and rear fenders and gives the Dodge Charger one of the most distinct profiles on the road. Defining the fastback’s wide stance is an all-new signature taillamp design that incorporates 164 illuminating LEDs to form its signature “racetrack” graphic and gives the new Charger its unmistakable character from blocks away.
The 2011 Dodge Charger’s interior cockpit is meant to be an enthusiast office. The all new design feature premium materials throughout. Transmitting the performance chassis’ world-class feel of the road, the all-new Charger features a new thick-rimmed three-spoke Dodge steering wheel for enhanced performance feel and grip. Crafted in world-class materials, Charger’s passengers are surrounded with comfort, craftsmanship and style, thanks to premium soft-touch materials and four available distinct interior color combinations. The all-new 2011 Dodge Charger’s state-of-the-art Uconnect® Touch integrates world-class infotainment and convenience technologies to keep passengers connected, comfortable and secure. From segment-leading Garmin® navigation, to dual-zone climate controls and the ability to check fuel prices with the integration of available SIRIUS Travel Link, Uconnect Touch delivers an excellent experience for Charger’s driver and passengers.
Maximizing its unibody’s world-class structural stiffness, Dodge Charger engineers were able to tune the cabin for sound quality (rather than sound level) by isolating powertrain, road and wind noise. In addition, Charger’s unibody packages material and structural design improvements, including dual-pane acoustic windshield and front-door side glass, body-cavity silencing foam, under-flush roll-framed doors with triple seals and acoustic wheel-well liners to absorb road noise and quiet the cabin. Combined, these design improvements place the all-new Dodge Charger’s interior sound quality among the best in the E-segment.
As the Dodge brand’s flagship, the chassis of the all-new 2011 Charger is designed, engineered and fine-tuned to deliver a level of quality, capability and refinement that rivals the very best European, Asian and North American E-segment sedans. With its new second-generation E-segment rear-wheel drive (RWD) architecture, Dodge Charger features world-class suspension-tunings with re-designed geometry making for a nimble, balanced chassis that will build the Charger’s legend as one of the best driving sedans in the world.
Engineered to perform against the best E-segment sport sedans, the all-new 2011 Dodge Charger SE and Charger Rallye feature the new 3.6-liter Pentastar engine for world-class levels of power, refinement, technology and fuel efficiency. For maximum thrills, efficiency and best-in-class power, the new Dodge Charger R/T lineup features the legendary 5.7-liter HEMI™ V-8 engine with four-cylinder mode FuelSaver Technology. No word on which transmission(s) will be offered, but I’d expect a 6-speed automatic to be the only one available.
The all-new 2011 Dodge Charger R/T with all-wheel-drive (AWD) features a re-thought stance and 19-inch wheels to make it much more appealing than ever before. The AWD preserves the Charger’s character and deepens its performance envelope in the most treacherous conditions. The Charger AWD features a segment-exclusive active transfer case and front-axle disconnect system to improve fuel economy by up to 5 percent. No other major automotive manufacturer offers the combination of these two independent technologies. Dodge Charger’s innovative AWD system seamlessly transitions between RWD and AWD with no driver intervention. When all-wheel drive is not required, the system automatically disconnects the front axle to maximize fuel economy while still providing the outstanding performance and handling inherent in rear-wheel drive vehicles.
The all-new 2011 Dodge Charger features more than 65 safety and security features, including standard Keyless Enter-N-Go and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with segment-exclusive Ready-alert Braking and Rainy Day Brake Support safety features to improve overall vehicle handling and performance both on and off the track. Safety and security features available for the first time on the Dodge Charger include adaptive-cruise control (ACC) with forward-collision warning (FCW), blind-spot monitoring (BSM) with rear cross path (RCP) detection and ParkView™ rear back-up camera with grid lines, all designed to provide the driver with added confidence while behind the wheel.
Built at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ont. (Canada), the 2011 Dodge Charger arrives in showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2010.
by John Suit
Source: Chrysler
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Chrysler officially pulled the cover off its upcoming 2011 Dodge Charger sedan this week, showing the evolutionary changes to the bodywork, as well as the revolutionary changes elsewhere in the updated car. With more curves, more power and better fit & finish, Dodge’s flagship looks like a real competitor. Read on for details, pictures and the press release.
Despite a modicum of success, we’ve now been looking at the same Charger for 5 years, so it’s high time for a real update, and Chrysler has given it to us. The sheetmetal hasn’t changed a whole lot, but has gained a lot of curves, including a rear end that evokes thoughts of its 2-doored brother, the Dodge Challenger.
Classic 5-spoke chrome wheels and a fastback-styled rear end make the new Charger look more like a coupe, so it’ll be interesting to put it next to a Challenger. Purists will still buy the Challenger, of course, but anyone who has a regular use for those rear doors will skip it and go to the new Charger.
On the power front, the Charger will come standard with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, Chrysler’s new corporate V6. Optional will be a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, with a 4-cylinder mode when only a small amount of power is called for.
