2015 Dodge Challenger

2015 Dodge Challenger

It’s time for the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat — the most powerful muscle car ever. But 2015 is also time for the first truly major update of the muscle-car lineup since it was launched as a 2007 model. With carefully refined exterior styling, new powertrains, upgraded suspension, and an all-new–and far more pleasant–interior, the 2015 Dodge Challenger stays up to date in the face of competition from not only the Chevy Camaro but an all-new Ford Mustang this year.

• Interior / Exterior »

The Challenger has always been the largest and blockiest of the muscle cars, giving it substantial road presence. Looked at through a different lens, the Challenger has been slightly more of a touring coupe–large and comfortable, with a supple ride on long trips. Now that persona is joined by an array of even more powerful, rip-up-the-track models at the top end, for Challenger buyers who want to keep pace with the most powerful vehicles in the competition’s lineups.



The revised exterior styling adopts cues from the classic 1971 Challenger, including a new split grille in a slimmer front opening with projector headlamps surrounded by LED halos, a pronounced and fully functional “power bulge” hood, and LED tail lamps in a glossy piano black surround. The basic shape remains unchanged, with a long nose, flat hood and deck lid, thick Seventies-inspired roof pillars and a pronounced kickup in the waistline. It keeps the Challenger more faithful to its decades-old ancestors than either the Camaro or Mustang, which have evolved with the ages.
Inside, the 2015 Challenger’s interior has been completely revamped. The sweeping surfaces of hard black plastic are gone, replaced by a modern dash with soft-touch surfaces and a fully modern instrument cluster with a fully customizable 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) center display screen. The available 8.4-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash includes the UConnect Access system, with apps and navigation as well as the usual audio functions.
The center console has a higher edge on the passenger side, inspired by the 1971 Challenger, and the dash, instruments, and console has aluminum accents. Among the 14 options for interior color and trim is a classic Houndstooth premium cloth that Dodge actually calls a “throwback” to the 1970s, and premium leather and Alcantara suede high-performance seats.

• Performance »

Fully living up to muscle-car expectations, the 2015 Dodge Challenger packs big V-6 and V-8 engines under its hood, has rear-wheel drive, and handles well enough to feel controllable and secure with all that power—even the 707 horsepower of the top SRT Hellcat. It’s definitely not nimble, but the Challenger has the goods to satisfy for most who crave a particular kind of uniquely American performance car.


At the base level, Challenger SXT and SXT Plus models get a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, making 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. It’s now solely offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the combination offers up both enough off-the-line pep to feel like a muscle car but enough high-revving passing power to never feel short on steam.
Above that, on R/T models, you get a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 maki8ng 375 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. R/T models with the automatic transmission make 372 hp and 400 lb-ft and include Chrysler’s Fuel Saver Technology, which allows the engine to run on four cylinders when coasting or cruising at low speeds; otherwise, the R/T doesn’t feel all that much faster than the V-6 models, although it makes all the right sounds.
Both the new R/T Scat Pack model and the 392 Hemi Scat Pack Shaker includes a higher-output 6.4-liter ‘Apache’ version of the Hemi that makes 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet. Last year this engine was exclusive to SRT models, but this year it’s more accessible; a six-speed manual gearbox is standard here, although the eight-speed automatic is available—and these models feel far quicker than the R/T. Stopping power is upgraded, too, with four-piston Brembo brake calipers, as well as Bilstein high-performance shocks and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.
The Hellcat—the most powerful muscle car ever—will run a quarter mile in 11.2 seconds, at 125 mph. That’s on the Pirelli P Zero Y-rated performance tires, which have loads of grip; or when fitted with full-on drag radials, the Hellcat will do a 10.8-second run at 126 mph. Power gets delivered through a six-speed manual gearbox; although as much as we love manuals, we think the heavy-duty eight-speed automatic might be a more stable companion when you have more than 700 horses in the stable.
We’d rate the SRT Hellcat’s drivability above either the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It’s more at ease with itself on the power, near the limits or not, than the GT500, and it’s more comfortable than the ZL1—because while the ZL1 might have it beat for suspension sophistication, the ZL1 feels claustrophobic and crude next to the Hellcat’s superb interior, quiet cabin, and sprawl-out comfort. (Yes, taller folks, you have plenty of room for a helmet in the Hellcat.)
We’re not huge fans of the new electric power steering that’s offered on all models except for the top-of-the-line SRT Hellcat. In the V-8 models especially, it’s precise yet seems to have all of its feedback (or kickback) tuned out—which can lead to more small adjustments that intended over choppier stretches of pavement. The only other issue we saw was that there’s quite a bit of nosedive during hard braking—more than you might expect from a car with sporty aspirations—in base SXT cars, and even in the R/T.
If you want to stick to the more affordable SXT but want the better handling of the more powerful models, there’s a Super Track Pak option that gets you a lowered ride height, larger sway bars, Bilstein shocks, high-performance brakes, and a three-mode stability control system.
Separately, on much of the lineup you can get a Performance Pages system that’s paired with the larger 8.4-inch Uconnect screen and lets you set Drive Modes as well as activate Launch Control or display expanded gauge displays and performance timers.
The Challenger has always been the largest and blockiest of the muscle cars, giving it substantial road presence. Looked at through a different lens, the Challenger has been slightly more of a touring coupe–large and comfortable, with a supple ride on long trips. Now that persona is joined by an array of even more powerful, rip-up-the-track models at the top end, for Challenger buyers who want to keep pace with the most powerful vehicles in the competition’s lineups.
The revised exterior styling adopts cues from the classic 1971 Challenger, including a new split grille in a slimmer front opening with projector headlamps surrounded by LED halos, a pronounced and fully functional “power bulge” hood, and LED tail lamps in a glossy piano black surround. Inside, the 2015 Challenger’s interior has been completely revamped. The sweeping surfaces of hard black plastic are gone, replaced by a modern dash with soft-touch surfaces and a fully modern instrument cluster with a fully customizable 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) center display screen and available 8.4-inch touch-screen system.

Its slightly larger size pays dividends inside: The Challenger is the only one of the three muscle coupes to offer seating for five. Access to the back seat will entail some contortion, and only two adults will really fit back there, but it’s doable. At 16 cubic feet, the trunk is also larger than those of even some mid-size sedans on the market.
The standard powertrain on the 2015 Challenger is a 305-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6. Then there’s the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, which will be rated at up to 375 hp and 410 lb-ft or torque. Finally, there’s a new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 that Dodge estimates at 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. All three engines can be mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission, the only one offered on any of the three U.S. muscle cars, with a Sport Mode and paddle shifters as well as visual and tactile feedback on the electronically-actuated shift lever. A six-speed manual gearbox remains available as well. Like all three of its competitors this year, the Challenger remains a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with independent rear suspensions.

Suspension changes across the board include a Super Track Pak available on all Challenger models, uprated suspension, and new electric power steering with three modes: Normal, Comfort, and Sport. A fully track-ready 6.4-liter Scat Pack model includes not only the 6.4-liter Hemi but also 20-inch aluminum wheels, Brembo disc brakes, and the 392 Scat Pack Shaker model adds a functional Shaker hood inlet scoop.
Eight separate trim levels will be offered on the 2015 Challenger: SXT, SXT Plus, R/T, R/T Plus, R/T Shaker, R/T Plus Shaker, 6.4-liter Scat Pack and 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker. Customization options mean no two Challengers need be identical, with fourteen different interiors, nine wheel options, and a range of new paint colors, including retro shades like Sublime Green and B5 Blue.

Challenger sales have increased steadily throughout its life, so there’s clearly a market for a retro muscle car. We tend to think that the best deals in the lineup include the base SXT, where the Challenger costs less than $30k and is far more flamboyant and exciting than any other comfort-oriented mid-sizer. R/T Scat Pack models are also quite the deal, with as much performance as you could possibly take advantage of on the street, all for around $40k.
Photo Gallery: Dodge USA

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