For a model seemingly older than the domestication of plants and animals, the Dodge Charger manages to foist new things at its intended audience every year. Same goes for its two-door sibling, the Challenger.
For 2020, the Charger offers something the Challenger debuted for the 2018 model year: a GT model with four-wheel grip.
Hardly earth-shaking Charger news, sure, but one day, perhaps early in the new decade, there might actually be an LX-platform announcement of greater potency. In the meantime, we can look at what a Charger GT AWD gets you — the answer to that question being “not much,” aside from upgraded looks and a loftier sticker price.
While Challenger adopted all-wheel drive on its GT model two years ago, Dodge saw fit to relegate the system to its base Charger SXT. Like Challenger, GT sits one rung up the trim ladder from SXT, sharing the same 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and eight-speed automatic as the entry-level car. Power amounts to 300 horses and 264 lb-ft of torque.
Truth be told, the GT does improve upon the SXT’s inherent visual muscularity in a number of ways. The front fascia is revised to look meaner. LED foglamps appear, as do side sills. The hood is a performance covering. A tastefully low-profile spoiler appears out back, though 19-inch aluminum wheels still fill the wells with 235/55 all-season performance rubber (RWD GTs offer 20-inch wheels as standard).
Inside, you’ll find a performance wheel and seats with additional bolstering — the latter coming in handy should you choose to enter the vehicle in a winter rally. Slipping the vehicle into Sport mode ensures that the AWD system won’t have to wait until it detects front-end slip before sending power forward.
And yes, you can fully defeat the system and its associated electronic nannies for messy parking lot snow donuts.
The 2020 Charger GT AWD carries an after-destination starting price of $36,490, which is a not-too-insignificant jump from the RWD GT’s opening bid of $33,390. However, contrast it with the SXT AWD and the difference is more than halved. That model starts at $35,090.
Orders open for Charger GT AWDs in January, with deliveries expected before the end of March.
[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
Not to sound like a dunderhead, but what sorts of slip exactly would the car sense coming from the front? I mean this in all seriousness.
Does the AWD system in the Charger do the same thing as in the 2017 300S? By that I mean does it lock the system at temperatures below 40°F?
I know that there are generally two types of AWD systems, front biased and rear biased. The front biased makes a little more sense to a layman such as myself, but rear biased leaves me flummoxed. I’m not sure what sensors do what for which.
Its rear bias and RWD most of the time. It probably stays disconnected all summer unless its raining (connects when the wipers are on too). If you want to learn about the system there is tons of info out there about it.
I know that the old V8 R/T would automatically lock the system in the on position when the temp was below 40. I have heard on the current system when you select “SPORT” on the GT model it locks the system into AWD as well.
That’s what the 300S does. I imagine the system is largely similar.
I’ve driven my 2018 Challenger GT AWD around 900 miles so far. Normal everyday driving is RWD. When the weather gets wet or slushy you can feel the the front differential kick in. When I hit the “SPORT button it locks the system into AWD.
Earth shaking news.
They’ve offered the GT with AWD in Canada for two or three years. My local dealer had an’18 on the lot for about a month or so.
Is there a way to disconnect the front drive portion? Otherwise the lack of hoonability defeats one of the delights of this platform….
“For a model seemingly older than the domestication of plants and animals”
8 years. The current Charger platform is 8 years with the current model being 4 years old as far as styling goes.
But don’t let facts get in the way of your embarrassing opening line.
Calling the LD platform “new” is an outright lie, considering it’s essentially just the LX platform. Your comment is what’s embarrassing.
No, my comment is what is known as the truth.
Sorry the truth bothers you
“For a model seemingly older than the domestication of plants and animals”
That was meant as hyperbole. You really don’t think that was what he actually meant, do you?
Wait what?
No I actually thought the current Charger is 9,500 years old. Are trying to tell me it’s not?
They used cave paintings to design it. It was used for mammoth hunts. Rather than use spears, they’d just run them over.
I’m amazed by FCA. This car is, er, classic. There are versions from small six powered Secty Special to the 392 powered monsters. If, as others have pointed out, it costs millions to make the first car, this may be the best amortized platform sold by an American major, and probably amazingly profitable. There is a place for a classic big RWD (mostly) car in the US market, and this fills it well. When I walk the forecourt of my local shop, there are many of them with big markdowns on the window. They remind me of sharks-a primitive life form that has lived a very long time while the world around them changes, but they still do well.
“f, as others have pointed out, it costs millions to make the first car, this may be the best amortized platform sold by an American major, and probably amazingly profitable.”
People that complain about the age of the platform are simply ignorant. They are the type of people that want change for the sake of change.
The cars on that platform and it’s variants do very well performance wise. Being able to handle 860HP speaks to how good that platform really is.
I have one sitting in a closet, mostly because I don’t feel like blowing half a day taking the module to the dealer and trying to get a replacement without going through a full install.
“inherent visual muscularity”
Ugh.
Remember the Aston Martin Vantage Volante “Prince of Wales” edition? He wanted the high performance version without the wheel arches, flares & spoilers; and it was so popular Aston made more for customers.
That’s what I want. A Charger Hellcat “Prince of Wales” Edition. No scoops, spoilers, or body kit. Just a plain SXT with 700+ hp.