Return of the Charger

Brand new and boldly designed, the 2006 Dodge Charger has a great silhouette—roughly shaped to resemble the sleek two-door coupes that carried the Charger name back in the 1960s and ’70s. But there’s nothing retro about the four-door sedan except its name. And that may be enough.

With engines that range from a very competent single-overhead-camshaft 3.5-liter V6 to the storied Hemi V8, the rear-wheel-drive Charger has potent acceleration, as well as some of the best engine and handling innovations. For one, Chrysler’s multi-displacement system—MDS—smoothly cuts the power to four of the V8’s cylinders while cruising to enhance fuel economy, with full power restorable at the tap of your toe.

Impressive to look at, to sit in, and to drive, the Charger is a package that works, assuring that DaimlerChrysler will continue on its current roll, at a time when some of its top competitors with new products that have generated little interest are having financial problems. Dodge took off a few years ago, reinventing itself with the big Dodge Ram pickup and the styling and power of the Viper sports car. The corporate liftoff came in the 2005 model year when the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum connected with the public far beyond Chrysler’s fondest hopes. The Car of the Year 300 and 300C, for example, sold more than 107,000 units in their first year—a 600 percent increase over the 300M they replaced. The Magnum put Dodge’s large footprint firmly back in the market as well.

Now, the Charger has hit the streets like a blockbuster. Its boldly slanted front end adopts a fierce stance, more aggressive than the classy 300 or chopped-wagon Magnum. The Charger’s macho appeal becomes stylishly civilized as the roof-line slopes down to a notched upper-body line—muscular, but not crude. Racing followers will be pleased that the Charger is carrying DaimlerChrysler’s colors back onto the NASCAR stock car circuit all across the country.

While test-driving a sinister-looking black Charger, I found that people I passed on the freeway would suddenly speed up to catch a closer look and gesture with a smile and a thumbs-up signal. When I parked or stopped for gas, people walking or driving past paused to take a closer look and to shout compliments.

Dodge marketing officials found that even though it’s been twenty-eight years since the Charger was eliminated, 70 percent of U. S. car buyers identified the name with Dodge. Maybe part of that is due to televised Dukes of Hazzard reruns, where the “General Lee,” an orange Charger, was Bo and Luke Duke’s vehicle of choice in the rollicking adventures of that chase-filled series. Drive through any of dozens of Southern towns, and you’ll spot a 1968 or ’69 bright orange Charger with a number painted on the door. Maybe the car creates happy memories. Or maybe it’s just a great name in a sea of indecipherable, alphanumeric designations.

When I got a chance to drive one of the first Dodge Chargers to reach Minnesota early this summer, I was again surprised and impressed at the attention it attracted. I think that in the last five years only the reborn 2005 Mustang has received more positive reaction than the new Charger.

I drovea Charger R/T, which is right in the middle of Dodge’s pecking order. At the Charger introduction, I also drove all the other models, some on racetracks. The basic SE has the fully adequate 250-horsepower V6 and is impressively appointed for $22,995; the SXT has some fancy upgrades, such as leather interiors; the R/T has the 5.7-liter Hemi (with fuller burning hemispherical combustion chambers) and 340 horsepower with 390 foot-pounds of torque for $29,995; the Charger Daytona R/T is the racy version with special graphics and colors; and the top-dog Charger SRT–8 has an engine enlarged by the Street and Racing Technology—SRT—gang, to a 6.1-liter Hemi, with 425 horsepower, and costs nearly $40,000.

An electronic stability program—ESP—keeps the car in line, using brake or throttle application to fulfill the driver’s intentions. It bailed me out at the car’s introduction when I overdid it through a tight turn: Instead of the off-course excursion I was starting to envision, ESP simply swept me around the corner. An efficient traction/control system prevents wheels from spinning in slippery conditions.

In any form, the Charger will haul five adults in comfort, and protect them all with the latest in structural and air bag security. If this is a family sedan, it’s a family sedan with an attitude.