Shortly after 10am on the morning of January 12, 2024, social media posts from the Dodge brand fully revealed the exterior of next generation Dodge Charger. There is no other information – no guaranteed indicators of whether this is powered by gasoline or electricity – and no interior shots, but these are, without question, the best look that we have seen thus far of what is likely the next generation Dodge Charger.
The images from the Dodge Facebook account and Dodge Official Instagram account show the front end of the next generation Dodge Charger from a few slightly different angles, along with one shot of the rear end. The caption simply reads “No cameras or recording devices permitted. Pre-production model shown. Available late 2024.” Based on that, we believe that this is a 2025 model year Charger, unless Dodge plans to release this car very, very late for the 2024 model year.
The pictures don’t answer many questions on the next generation Dodge Charger, but this car does look a great deal like the concept car that we have been discussing for the past year or so. The popular point of discussion is whether the car shown is powered by a gasoline engine or electric motors; the Fratzog is supposed to be used only on electric cars (there’s no telling how a 4xe would play out). When we played with the light settings, the rear end picture did not reveal any exhaust tips; what we can see of the front end appears to have a smooth surface in the grille area, similar to the electric concept car. EVs typically don’t have a traditional grille since they don’t have an engine to keep cool, so a smooth front fascia points to an electric vehicle—but they may have taken pictures to disguise the powerplant in this preproduction test car.
Update: It has been pointed out that in the rear end picture, along the bottom, it appears to say “Daytona” between the reflectors. The electric concept that debuted in 2022 was also called Daytona, so that could be another indication that this is an electric vehicle. At least one commentator suggested that the Daytona name might apply to all two-doors, but all signs right now point to this being an electric car.
Electrified Ram pickups will hit dealerships after the gasoline-powered models debut. Dodge may follow a similar pattern, with Hurricane-powered models debuting first and the EV models coming later, but that is purely speculation—helped by the fact that the Canadian battery plant doesn’t start up until 2025. Gasoline-powered Chargers could cut into sales of the electric model, so Dodge may roll out the EVs first, but again, that is speculation. We will know for sure as the year goes on, but right now, we might have to wait until the latter portions of 2024 to find out which next generation Dodge Charger powerplant comes to market first.
In the meantime, we know what the next generation Dodge Charger will look like when it comes to market, based on the preproduction model images shown here. They stayed fairly true to the concept car; and it looks like the Charger will return to being a two-door model (unless they sell it in both two and four door form, which seems unlikely).
The question about selling only a two-door version is what will happen to those who really wanted four doors. The four-door Charger has usually outsold the two-door Challenger. This may open the doors, so to speak, to another model; or they may direct four door buyers to an expected crossover version.
