Whenever the words “muscle car” are uttered, people instantaneously associate them with Dodge, specifically the Dodge Charger as it was known for its raw tarmac tearing power when it was in its prime. Today’s Dodge Chargers are no exception with the availability of the monstrous SRT8 and V8 models. Dodge decided to add a V6 charger for the more environmentally aware customers in order to expand their target market. I had the chance to drive the 3.6 Litre V6 Charger for the weekend and it delivered in more places than others.
Drive
The moment your eyes see the Charger, they are instantly glazed. The upgraded looks from the previous model gives it a sportier and aggressive look while at the same time maintaining its classy looks, meaning you can drive it to that business meeting and after that drive it to the car enthusiast meet up. The exterior styling is a perfect blend of both poles of the spectrum. The 164 LED tail light is the main component that stands out on the outside of the car, as people will look twice at it.
Once you push the start button and put the car into gear, you will need to release the parking brake which is foot operated for both engage and release. Engaging it is easy, but to release it you will need the legs muscles of an Olympic sprinter! With no back up camera and no sensors, maneuvering this cruise ship in and out of parking spots is very difficult, and the decreased rear vision and side blind spots make things even more challenging. Nevertheless, once you are out and on the road it is a whole other story. The V6 will pleasantly surprise you with its acceleration and the smoothness and comfort of the ride is phenomenal! I clocked the charger’s 0-100 speed at 6.7 seconds. All thanks to the V6 Pentastar engine which squeezes out 292 Horses and 353 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to the new 8-speed transmission which makes fuel economy nothing short of amazing, getting an average of 8.2 L/100KM on the highway and 14.1 L/100KM in the city. Some might say that a V6 engine on a charger or a challenger or a mustang is pointless and has no power, the opposite has been proven about the new Pentastar engine, it really does give the person that rush of a powerful car when he takes off at the stop light. Traction control faces some trouble in harnessing the power to the back wheels, but it does its job. The handling of the Charger is surprisingly good for such a large car. The responsiveness of the steering wheel is spot on, and when turning a corner slightly harder, the car does not bounce back and lean the other way, in fact it just smoothens out and continues on. The ride of the V6 charger would have been literally perfect if it was not for the brakes. There is not enough braking power to stop the mammoth sized car soon enough as the stopping distance is almost dangerously long, and furthermore, the ABS system does not do what it is supposed to because the tyres squeal to a stop.
Interior
After being pleased by outside look of the car and you enthusiastically get into the Charger you are surprised, and not in a pleasant way. 80% of the people that I let into the car said these exact words the minute they sat down in the charger, “oh, why is it like this from inside?” Then I would have to go on and explain how it is not the top of the line model. The thing that sticks out the most in the interior is the awkwardly shaped screen which is smaller than the 3rd generation iPhone and it was also a touch screen. So when you are driving, it is impossible to use without risking having a major accident. The dashboard was huge; it was almost as if the makers had no idea what to do with all the space inside so they decided to fill it with leather-wrapped plastic housing. The driver’s seat was semi-auto as the bottom component was controlled by a switch on the side, and the seat back position is changed manually by a lever, the passenger seat was fully manual. The sound system of the car was quite disappointing. The speakers would start to snare and make weird hissing noises whenever the volume is turned up louder than half way. And anything beyond that the components of the car would start to rattle and vibrate which also says something about the build quality. On the plus side, the interior of the charger was very spacious, where a person of any height can drive it or be in the passenger seat without feeling the slightest bit of discomfort, the back seat however, provides decent legroom but for someone 1.8M or taller, will face some serious issues with the headroom.
Verdict
At a price of just under 115,000 AED, the V6 charger is worth the money. Because what it lacks in interior and on board equipment (such as navigation) it makes up for that in excellent engine power and acceleration and not to forget the spectacular fuel economy. Bottom line is, if you buy this model of the charger expect a phenomenal ride with the head turning looks, but don’t expect fancy interior.
