Here it is folks, the "all-new" 2015 Dodge Charger. At first glance, I was a tad disgusted by the revisions, as they seemed rather light. But upon further examination, they began to grow on me and I noticed they were more extensive than I initially thought. Dodge->ke28 changed up a ton of exterior metal, including the hood, fenders, fascias, front doors, R/T spoiler, taillights, headlights, center-mounted stop light, wheel selection, and added a few heritage colors. On the inside, I see a new seven-inch TFT gauge cluster, a new radio and touchscreens (available in 5- or 8.4-inch), a brand-new steering wheel, a bad-ass shifter, a new Dodge Performance Pages app and some new interior trimming.
The biggest change on the inside -- other than more stylish aesthetics -- is that Dodge Performance Pages, which is only available on the R/T model. This program, which is accessible through the 8.4-inch touchscreen, has active launch control with various RPM settings for perfect off-the-line acceleration, and performance timers and gauges, including G-force meters, engine oil, transmission oil and coolant temperatures, oil pressure, and engine performance. From the images, I can see there are two pages of gauges, and Dodge did not talk about what's on page two. I assume this will be things like tire pressure, tire temperature and maybe brake temperature.
With the changes to the 2015 Ford Mustang and the anticipated changes in the next-gen Camaro->ke248, it looks like the muscle car realm is reaching for new heights.
Have a look after the jump to see other key changes for the 2015 Dodge Charger
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room, that new front end. I am sorry, but it looks almost like Dodge really forced the Dart's front end onto the Charger's body. After becoming so accustomed to the square, retro look of the Charger, this is a stark contrast that will take a little getting used to. But just like the Fiatization of the Cherokee, I guess I will learn to see the good side of it. I do find that the downward slope of the front end is a nice change that seems to be making its way across the muscle car realm these days, and the new grille is a lot cleaner than before. Plus, the LED surround on the headlights is a nice touch.
Easter Egg Hunt - Headlights
With Easter just a few days away, Dodge slapped a cool Easter Egg in the headlights. Can you see it? Have a closer look, and you'll see "Dodge" on the side of the headlight.
TopSpeed Rendering
We were pretty dang close, save for some of the body lines. Not too bad.
Around back we see even more cues from the Dodge Dart. The racetrack taillight assembly is still present, but it is drastically downsized and now looks like a stretched-out version of the Dodge Dart's taillights. The spoiler is also all Dart. Honestly, I think the rear end will take a lot more time to get used to than the front end.
On the inside, it is a bag of mixed nuts. The new steering wheel is much sportier and looks track-ready, but the button setup on the wheel looks too flat and boring. The new gauges are a thing of beauty, and accent the sportier look of the Charger nicely. To round out the nice parts is the new touchscreen with the aforementioned Performance Pages app, and likely one of the coolest gear shifters I have seen in ages -- only a ratchet-style shifter would be cooler.
On the bad side, the Charger's cabin has that sea-of-black feeling that the passenger has to endure. There is almost nothing exciting on that half of the cabin. Additionally, the lower half of the center stack looks like it was ripped straight from the late-1990s; it is very, very boring.
Gear Shifter Details
Really, can you think of a cooler gear shifter in any of today's muscle cars? Let me know what one you can think that is better in the comments.
Dodge Performance Pages app
Keeping up with modern times, dodge has added a Performance Pages app that will keep track of the Charger's vitals and let you know its 0-to-60 time, quarte-mile time and other performance details.
In very depressing news, everything under the hood remains completely unchanged. You have your choice of a 5.7-liter HEMI with 370 horses and 395 pound-feet or the base 292-horsepower, Pentastar V-6. No word on the Hellcat engine yet, but I'm sure that we'll find out if it is a Challenger-exclusive engine or not later today. One change -- for the worse -- is the elimination of all-wheel drive paired with the 5.7-liter HEMI. But, dodge did add in electric power steering to help drop weight and scrapped the five-speed auto in favor of the new eight-speed TorqueFlight auto that helps to slightly bump up fuel economy.