Muscle cars are supposed to be rear-wheel drive, tail-happy, V-8-powerd street machines build for quarter-mile times and hot dates on a Friday night. However, Dodge is expanding the muscle car’s repertoire by adding all-wheel drive to its popular Challenger coupe. Yes, the Challenger is getting AWD for the 2017 model year. Sadly, the option is only available with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission. No V-8, manual, or Hellcat version exists – yet.

Its official name is the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT and it uses the same AWD equipment as the Dodge Charger AWD, including its active transfer case and front-axle disconnect. The Challenger GT is designed to give all-weather traction to those who live in areas regularly plagued by adverse weather conditions. Dodge has not designed the Challenger GT to be a track monster or rally car – although both are easy to imagine in the aftermarket industry.

Naysayers who cry foul over the missing V-8 might be surprised to know the 3.6-liter V-6 offers 305 horsepower. That’s more than many versions of the original Challenger from the early 1970s. Torque is rated at 268 pound-feet.

As for an official statement from Dodge, Tim Kuniskis, who is the head of passenger cars for Dodge, SRT, Chrysler, and Fiat in North America, said, “Dodge is shifting the muscle car paradigm with the new 2017 Dodge Challenger GT – the world’s first and only all-wheel-drive American muscle coupe. The Challenger has always been the most wide-ranging and functional muscle coupe, and now, with the new 305-horsepower all-wheel-drive Challenger GT, we are stretching the functional and geographic boundaries even further.”

Dodge is putting the 2017 Challenger GT on sale this winter, likely during the first quarter of 2017. Prices will start at $34,490, which includes the $1,095 destination charge. Keep reading for the full review.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT.

2017 Dodge Challenger GT

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Dodge Challenger GT
  • Engine/Motor: V6
  • Horsepower: 305 @ 6350
  • Torque: 268 @ 4800
  • Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Meet the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT. Its face should look familiar – Dodge hasn’t done anything to update the aesthetics. That’s just fine because this isn’t a generational- or even mid-generational refresh. The GT simply adds AWD to the Challenger’s drivetrain. The Challenger GT does get some trim-specific wheels and a GT badge on the front fender. Beyond that, this is your average Challenger SXT Plus.

More specifically, the wheels are 19-inch aluminum units colored in Hyper Black and wrapped with P235/55R-series all-season tires. Look closely at the media images, and you’ll notice this particular Challenger GT is wearing Michelin winter tires. Beyond its rolling stock, the Challenger GT comes with projector fog lights, a rear deck lid spoiler, ParkSense rear parking assist, and a rear backup camera. These are simple yet effective add-ons that bring more functionality and convenience to the big Dodge.


Dodge has not released the full specs on the 2017 Challenger GT, but the car is expected to be offered in the full palette of 12 paint colors.

As for the bodywork, the 2017 Challenger GT will come with the same grille found on the Challenger SXT Plus, the next up from the bottom trim, the standard SXT. It boasts the retro-styled horizontal rectangular nostrils with the round parking lights and headlights flanking its sides. The lower grille is comprised of black mesh and is where the majority of airflow comes through for cooling. A small chin splitter helps direct air in an efficient way.

The short greenhouse and narrow windows remain, giving the car a sinister look, though many complain it limits outward visibility. Another retro piece – the flip-up fuel door with the iconic FUEL scrip – provides another dose of nostalgia. The feeling of yore continue around back thanks to the 2015 refreshed taillights that more closely recall the taillights from the 1971 Challenger. Of course, anybody who considers themselves a Challenger fan knows the current car is a modern take on the 1971 Challenger.

All told, the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT continues to look good in its nostalgic suit. Nothing changes with the addition of AWD, and that’s just fine.

Interior

Like the outside, you’d be hard-pressed to find a difference between the standard Challenger and the GT model. It The GT comes standard with Nappa leather seats with heated and cooled front buckets, a four-way power driver’s seat, a heated steering wheel with power tilt and telescoping, the well-loved 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system, and an Alpine sound system with a 276-watt amp. Uconnect now offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for 2017 across FCA’s model range.

There are two main options here: the Super Track Pak and the GT Interior Package.

Note: Standard Challenger interior shown here.

The GT Interior Package is exclusive to the GT and brings Nappa leather seats with Alcantara suede inserts (a first for the V-6 Challenger), a Dodge performance steering wheel, and a nine-speaker Alpine system with a 506-watt amp and subwoofer. The GT Interior Package carries an MSRP of $995.

The Super Track Pak, on the other hand, is a software bundle living inside the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. It activated the Dodge Performance Pages and launch control features. Clicking the SRT button on the dash or on the screen pulls up performance information like reaction times, 0-to-60 mph times, G-force indicator, and lap times. If the driver wants, the information can be mirrored onto the seven-inch TFT display inside the main gauge cluster. The Super Track Pak costs an additional $695.

Drivetrain

The biggest difference with the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT is, of course, its AWD system. This is the first time Dodge has given the current Challenger an AWD option, and is the first time in history the Challenger has ever had an AWD option. In fact, Dodge is breaking the mold with the Challenger GT – no other muscle coupe has ever had power flowing to all four wheels. This could set a precedent for the segment. Imagine an AWD Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. Interesting times, these are.

Starting at the top, the Challenger GT is powered by the venerable 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. This all-aluminum engine features dual overhead camshafts with variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust sides. High-flow intake and exhaust ports allow the 24-valve engine to breath easy, while an electronic throttle body controls airflow. The exhaust manifolds are integrated directly into the cylinder heads for a compact and robust design.

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The 3.6-liter produces a respectable 305 horsepower at 6,350 rpm and 268 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. What’s more, the induction system and dual exhaust system help the V-6 generate 90 percent of its peak torque from just 1,800 rpm up through 6,400 rpm.

Mated to the engine is the familiar TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF. In prior testing, we’ve found this gearbox allows for silky smooth shifts under light load, but can quickly firm up when driven hard, providing lightning quick shifts for good acceleration.

The big news is what’s behind the TorqueFlite. It’s the active transfer case borrowed from the Dodge Charger AWD. This gearbox, along with its computer-controlled programming, allows 100 percent of power to flow to the rear wheels during normal, everyday driving. When wheel spin is detected, the transfer case automatically and seamlessly transitions power to the front differential, which then sends power to the front wheels – all within a few milliseconds. Best of all, no driver input is needed. The system works on its own, only aided by the Challenger GT’s unique traction control software.

That software is Dodge’s Vehicle dynamic Control, or VDC for short. The system uses sensors to measure wheel speed and slippage and relays that information to the computer, which then directs torque appropriately between the front and rear axles. The integrated Electronic Stability Control system further works to keep the Challenger on the road and out of snow-filled ditches or parked cars. The ESC system comes with three modes, including “full-off” for those wanting to impersonate Ken Block.

Dodge estimates the 2017 Challenger GT will get 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. That’s down a bit from the RWD Challenger’s EPA-estimated 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Still, for those wanting a muscle car with all-weather traction, the fuel economy penalty should might be worth it.

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3.6-liter Pentastar V-6

Engine

305 HP @ 6,350 RPM

Horsepower

268 LB-FT @ 4,800 RPM

Torque

TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic

Transmission

18 city/27 hwy


Pricing

The 2017 Dodge Challenger GT carries a starting price of $34,490, which includes the $1,095 destination charge. That means adding AWD adds $3,400 in price over the RWD Challenger SXT Plus. Broken down, that represents a 10-percent markup in the car’s overall MSRP. Then again, that’s not a bad deal considering the GT package turns the Challenger into a truly four-season and all-weather machine.

Optional packages include the Super Track Pak at $695 and the GT Interior Package, which costs $995. Other options can be had as well, including an engine block heater for $95, a Harmon Kardon sound system for $1,595, the Driver Convenience Group for $1,095, and the Technology Group for $1,195.

Competition

Ford Mustang

Leading the competitive segment is the venerable Ford Mustang. Though it does not, nor likely ever will, offer an AWD option, the Mustang is still the Challenger’s strongest rival. Ford sells gobs of them, having moved slightly fewer than 99,000 examples in the first 11 months of 2016. That’s far more than even the Chevrolet Camaro.

The Mustang comes in a variety of flavors, from coupe and convertible, to rental-class V-6 to a supercar killing GT350R. Comparable to the Challenger GT would be the Mustang’s standard V-6. This engine displaces 3.7 liters and makes 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque – close numbers to the Challenger. Customers choose between a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

As for pricing, the 2017 Mustang can be had for $24,915. For that, you get a V-6 Fastback with SYNC, HID headlights, keyless access with push button start, and a smooth shifting manual transmission.

Read more about the Ford Mustang here.

Chevrolet Camaro

The Camaro is the newest competitor here, having debuted for the 2016 model year in its sixth generation form. Like the Mustang, the Camaro can be had in coupe for convertible body styles and with trim levels that range from ho-hum Avis four-cylinder to the Nürburgring-stomping, supercharged V-8 ZL1. As for what best competes against the Challenger GT, that would be the V-6 Camaro, though no AWD option can be had (nor likely ever will).

The Camaro uses a 3.6-liter V-6 with an all-aluminum design, variable valve timing, and direct injection to produce 335 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque. That’s a bit more powerful than the Challenger’s V-6, but the Camaro’s standard 2.0-liter turbo-four and its 275 horsepower would be outclassed here. A comparable Camaro would also be fitted with Chevy’s eight-speed automatic transmission and the 2LT trim package.

Pricing for the 2017 Camaro starts at $25,905. Opting for the V-6 pushes the price to $28,091. Moving up to the 2LT trim level then pushes the price to $31,400. That’s more expensive than the Mustang, but is less expensive than the Challenger GT. Granted, the Camaro does not come with AWD.

Find out more about the Chevrolet Camaro here.

Conclusion

Dodge is doing its best to make the Challenger a jack-of-all-trades that appeals to a wide audience. From behind this keyboard and computer screen, it seems Dodge is trekking in the right direction. After all, AWD is a novel concept for an American muscle coupe. Perhaps those folks interested in a two-door performance coupe, who also happen to live in the north, might find the Challenger GT appealing.

All-wheel drive does give the car a year-round lease on uninterrupted driving, and with a good set of winter tires, would be unstoppable in such harsh conditions. Ground clearance would remain the Challenger’s only issue.

Could Dodge be paving the way for all-weather versions of the American muscle car? It’s doubtful Chevy or Ford will ever follow suit, but for now, Dodge will certainly have a monopoly on this niche market.

Want to know more about the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT? Stick around for the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit come January. That’s where Dodge will official debut the Challenger GT. Don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments below.