10 Things You Need To Know About The 2015 Dodge Charger

Hot on the heels of the recently-redesigned Dodge Challenger muscle coupe comes its platform-mate, the all-new 2015 Dodge Charger full-size sedan.  At once one of the most aggressive-looking and spacious large four-door cars available in the United States, the Dodge Charger has seen its styling, feature set, and drivetrain offerings enhanced for the current model year.  The Charger has also been pushed more heavily in a performance-oriented direction, in keeping with the Dodge brand repositioning itself as the 'fun-to-drive' arm of the Chrysler corporation.

Let's take a quick look at 10 things you need to know about the 2015 Dodge Charger.

01. The 2015 Dodge Charger Introduces New Design Cues

Although the original Dodge Charger was a two-door coupe, the 2015 Dodge Charger lifts an important styling cue from the vaunted model: the rear taillights, which now make use of LEDs to emphasize what Dodge calls its 'racetrack' all-the-way-round design.  Up front, the car gains a new fascia and bumper that incorporate revised headlights, available LED fog lights, and a more rounded version of last year's crosshair grille.  In fact, the only body panels that carry over from 2014 on the new Charger are the roof and the rear doors, giving the sedan an almost completely fresh appearance.

02. The 2015 Dodge Charger Perks Up Its Interior

Dramatic changes for the 2015 Dodge Charger continue throughout its passenger compartment, which has been significantly updated so as to move away from the preponderance of black plastic that defined the previous generation of the sedan.  The Dodge Charger orients the center stack towards the driver by including it in the same pod that encompasses the gauge cluster, separating it from the passenger dashboard.  The revised interior also sees a renewed use of aluminum, leather, and soft-touch materials throughout the front and rear of the car.

03. The 2015 Dodge Charger Starts Out With V-6 Power

The 2015 Dodge Charger's entry-level engine remains a V-6.  For the current model year, this 3.6-liter V-6 (dubbed the Pentastar) produces 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft in entry-level form.  Those seeking additional output from the six-cylinder edition of the Dodge Charger can opt for the Rallye package, which upgrades the motor's air intake (allowing it to suck in more cool air), exhaust system (improving the efficiency of the combustion cycle), and ECU tuning (tying it all together with more aggressive engine management) in order to produce 300 horses and 264 lb-ft of twist.

04. The 2015 Dodge Charger Offers A Pair Of V-8 Options

The 2015 Dodge Charger continues to make a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 the mainstay of its performance-oriented engine line-up.  This eight-cylinder mill has been tuned to provide 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque, and also features the ability to run on four-cylinders during light cruising in order to reduce fuel consumption.  Should one desire a more aggressive V-8 under the hood, the Charger also makes available a 6.4-liter Hemi that is good for an exceptional 485 horses and 475 lb-ft of twist, accessible via either the R/T Scat Pack or SRT 392 models.

05. The 2015 Dodge Charger Introduces 8-Speeds Across The Board

Helping to make the 2015 Dodge Charger drive more smoothly than it did in 2014 is the decision to eliminate the five-speed automatic transmission that was previously offered on base models and V-8 editions of the sedan.  In its place is an eight-speed automatic, available for the very first time across the entire Dodge Charger line-up.  In addition to its better power management capabilities, the eight-speed makes 19-mpg city and 31-mpg highway available with the V-6 Charger, with the 5.7-liter mill posting fuel efficiency figures of 16-mpg city and 25-mpg highway.

06. The 2015 Dodge Charger Can Be Had With All-Wheel Drive

The 2015 Dodge Charger provides the option of all-wheel drive with its 3.6-liter V-6 engine, but anyone looking for V-8 power will be disappointed to learn that they can no longer benefit from the additional traction that all-wheel drive has to offer.  With only six-cylinder editions of the Dodge Charger offering available all-wheel drive, Dodge has at least softened the blow by reducing the weight of the driveshafts used in the system, as well as introducing a system that disconnects the front axle when extra grip isn't needed in order to improve driving feel, enhance fuel efficiency, and reduce understeer.

07. The 2015 Dodge Charger Comes In Four Trim Levels

The 2015 Dodge Charger is available in four distinct trim levels.  The Dodge Charger SE represents the base model and is offered with LED daytime running lamps, power mirrors, air conditioning, and the base Uconnect 5.0 vehicle interface.  Moving up to the Charger SXT introduces the latest Uconnect 8.4 interface, along with dual automatic climate control, a louder stereo system sourced from Alpine, and heated front seats with power adjustments for the driver.  The Charger R/T adds a blacked-out grille, a sport exhaust system, and a stiffer suspension, while the SRT 392 provides a whole host of performance-oriented equipment.

08. The 2015 Dodge Charger Features Two Performance-Oriented Options Packages

In addition to these four basic trims, the 2015 Dodge Charger also offers a pair of performance packages.  Both available with the Dodge Charger R/T, the Road & Track package installs a more aggressive rear gear ratio (3.07) in place of the 2.62 gear that is standard with the car, and it also provides paddle shifters to control the eight-speed automatic transmission, a more aggressive Sport mode, access to the Performance Pages apps, and revised engine management. 

The Road & Track packages additionally features the contents of the Super Track Pak, which means 20-inch rims, Goodyear F1 tires, quicker steering, larger brakes, and a stiffer suspension system.  Towering over all other versions of the Charger R/T is the Scat Pack, which provides R/T shoppers with the 485 horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 mentioned previously, along with an active exhaust system, Brembo brakes, and Bilstein shock absorbers, all in addition to the Super Track Pak's goodies.

09. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Obliterates All Other Sport Sedans

If the Scat Pack or SRT 392 editions of the 2015 Dodge Charger simply aren't capable of stoking your high performance fires, then consider the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.  The SRT Hellcat is the most powerful production sedan on the planet, squeezing 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque from a 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 engine by way of a supercharger.  With a top speed of 204 miles per hour and the ability to reach 60-mph in just 2.9 seconds when outfitted with drag radial tires, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is also one of the quickest four-door automobiles ever constructed.

10. The 2015 Dodge Charger Accentuates Modern Safety Gear

The 2015 Dodge Charger isn't all attitude and speed - it's also been given a thorough safety refresh to go with its redesign.  In addition to its standard complement of airbags, the Dodge Charger includes a lane departure warning system, a forward collision warning system that can bring the sedan to a complete halt should an impact be deemed unavoidable, a lane keeping assistant that can steer the Charger back between the lines, and a blind spot monitoring system.  These features are on top of standard electronic traction control and stability control.