With the arrival of the new year, it also marked the end of an era for the Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle car duo as we’ve known them. However, the American automaker isn’t leaving us in suspense for long, already teasing us with tantalizing photos of what seems to be a near production version of the 2025 Charger enjoying some fresh air outdoors.
Bearing a striking resemblance to the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee Concept that was unveiled in 2022, the model has bigger side mirrors and an obvious charging port or gas cap flap (more on that below). That makes it look like the render seen in the automaker’s Christmas video, however, the headlights on this model are more square than the distinctly round ones in that drawing.
Meanwhile, a shot of the car’s rear end shows a decklid spoiler that we haven’t seen on previous concepts. A handsome addition to the car, it sits above what appear to be square taillights, though they are not lit up, so it’s hard to say with total confidence.
Read: Dodge Teases Charger Production Model With Round Headlamps, Confirms Late 2024 Launch
Credit: Dodge
Dodge officially labels this as a ‘pre-production model’ and reaffirms its availability for late this year. This implies that, while there may still be time for the automaker to refine the final design before production, this is very close to what consumers will be able to purchase.
Although the Charger will be all-new when it arrives late this year, it will not necessarily be offered exclusively with an electric powertrain. Leaks suggest that in addition to Dodge offering the muscle car as an EV, some variants might get the Hurricane inline-six. It is not yet clear if the automaker will offer an exclusively internal combustion powertrain, or if the engine will be used as part of a hybrid setup.
While the Charger will be completely redesigned when it debuts later this year, it may not be limited to an electric powertrain exclusively. Leaks and reports suggest that aside from offering the muscle car as an EV, some variants could potentially feature the Hurricane inline-six engine. It’s still unclear whether Dodge will provide an exclusively internal combustion powertrain or if the engine will be utilized as part of a hybrid configuration.
The Charger EV will come with a range of powertrains. The base version will have a single electric motor producing 402 hp (300 kW/408 PS) for the rear wheels. An upcoming twin-motor variant is anticipated to deliver 670 hp (500 kW/680 PS) to all four wheels. The top-of-the-line model is expected to boast 885 hp (660 kW/897 PS), although the specific powertrain for this model is yet to be confirmed.