Dodge Charger Sixpack COTY Review: Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other

The latest Dodge Charger, we can all agree, is not a perfect vehicle. Still, the EV models that came first contained enough innate charm, raw power, and interesting styling to muscle their way into the finalist round of last year’s Car of the Year competition. Now, the gas-powered Dodge Charger Sixpack is here to try again for the win.

On paper, the Sixpack solves a lot of the problems that kept the Daytona EV out of the winner’s circle. Driving range and refueling time are nonissues with gasoline power. Build quality has improved notably, software bugs have mostly been squashed, and losing the battery drops roughly 1,100 pounds from the curb weight. Each and every one of those things makes it easier to live with and a better all-around vehicle.

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The highlight across all Sixpack trims is the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six Hurricane engine (technically renamed “Sixpack” in this application, but it’s the same engine). Even in its base R/T tune, it makes effectively the same torque as Dodge’s 6.4-liter “392” V-8 and 50 less horsepower, while the Scat Pack tune bumps it to 550 hp and 531 lb-ft. It’s buttery smooth in either output and pulls like a freight train when you get the engine on the boil. Still, turbo lag prevents it from feeling as quick as it is, and the engine notes it farted out after hard every shift sounded like a poorly modded BMW.

This is where the charm starts to wear off. The Scat Pack, with its proper tires and stiffer suspension, is probably the best-handling Charger ever built, but it’s still very big and very heavy. The R/T, with its throwaway Nexen N’Fera tires none of us has ever heard of, was an absolute boat in the corners. The Scat Pack at least handles like a modern car, but the R/T more people can afford drives more like a ’70s Charger.

“On the handling course the sheer mass dominates everything,” guest judge Johan de Nysschen said of the R/T. “There is substantial body roll, limited agility, and very little pleasure in trying to hustle it around.”

It’s not all bad, though. The still-hefty curb weight and soft suspension combined to make both cars ride surprisingly well. Where other cars rode over the top of bad pavement, the Chargers seemed determined to beat the road into submission. All told, the Sixpack Chargers make great cruisers and road trip cars, so long as the road stays mostly straight.

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Other issues persist, carried over from the EV model. The infotainment touchscreen is still laggy and imprecise—an inexcusable combination in 2026—and key muscle car features like rear-wheel drive mode, launch control, and line lock remain buried in menus behind that finicky screen. The interior door release buttons still require an awkward reach down from the door handle, and despite losing the battery pack (yes, there’s just an empty space under the car where it would go) the rear seats still sit too high and cause the backs of rear passengers’ heads to touch the roof support rather than the headrests.

With its own set of foibles, we find ourselves in the same place as last year, firmly convinced there’s a fundamentally good car in there somewhere that keeps tripping over its own tires trying to get out. It still looks cool (though the “R-Wing” nose on the EV is cooler) and it’s mostly got it where it counts, but it still needs to sweat the details better.

This review was conducted as part of our 2027 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.