The Kia EV6 GT and the Dodge Challenger SRT Black Ghost represent opposing bookends for their brands. One is part of a bold new wave and one is part of a tearful adieu. Both are performance flagships but only one can win this U-drag and the one that does might surprise you.
U-drag racing tests acceleration, braking, and cornering speed by having both cars begin with a traditional drag race but only ends once the two make a 180-degree turn and get back to the original starting spot. On paper, this race looks somewhat stacked in the muscle car’s favor.
The Challenger Black Ghost is about as burly as it can get. Dodge sells it with 807 hp (601 kW) and 707 lb-ft (957 Nm) of torque. That’s no less than 231 hp (172 kW) and 162 lb-ft (219 Nm) of torque more than the Kia EV6 GT. The Dodge also has rear-wheel drive, a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, and a clever launch control system that’ll help those horses grip and go.
Did we mention that the Kia also happens to weigh 317 pounds (143 kg) more than the big old-school Challenger? The two big benefits that Kia’s Stinger replacement has over the Dodge are the fact that it’s electric, so it has instant torque, and that it sends that torque to all four tires so it has less trouble gaining traction. Those two advantages prove to be enough to exorcise this track of the Black Ghost.
In race one, the EV6 GT gets off of the line quickly and easily and while the Dodge launches well it’s nowhere near as fast. The Kia does 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, a full second faster than the Dodge. The gap between the two remains similar all the way to the end of the quarter-mile. Only during braking does the Challenger being to shorten the gap. It also corners harder than the Kia but it’s not enough.
The Kia rolls onto the power and finishes well ahead of the Dodge. Race two goes exactly the same but with a little more drama from the tail-happy Dodge. The future might be electric but that certainly doesn’t mean it’ll be slow, and in the EV6 GT, you can cram in four friends for the ride.