2024 Dodge Charger Daytona First Drive: Roaring Back At The Haters

This is a review I’ve dreaded writing for a while now. The all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is about to arrive at dealerships, and DrivingOnRoad had an early opportunity to drive it in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m now tasked with telling the buying public how it drives: Does it live up to the legendary muscle nameplate? Does it do enough to advance electric performance vehicles? Should you trade in your Hemi for it?

These are all great questions, and I’ll do my best to answer every single one.

In the pursuit of fairness, I’d like to make a deal with you. I’ll be brutally honest about this car if you can be equally forthright about your preconceived feelings on EVs. An EV is not a direct replacement for an internal combustion engine car in all cases, but it can offer an improvement in others. If you’re able to set aside – or perhaps embrace – this new powertrain, you might be thrilled to find a segment-breaking two-door hatchback that offers near-Hellcat levels of performance and crossover levels of practicality. Is this the game changer Dodge has been needing for years? Or is it the first nail in the company’s coffin? Let’s put the cards on table.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

What’s New? Basically Everything

The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is all-new, representing the eighth generation of the iconic nameplate. Everything is designed from the ground up on the new STLA Large platform, which also underpins the Jeep Wagoneer S EV and upcoming Recon, as well as future Alfa Romeo and Maserati models. This platform was designed to accept ICE and EV powertrains, both of which will appear on this model.

Dodge will launch the Charger Dayonta as a two-door EV first, but four-door and gasoline models will come later next year, as will a range-topping Banshee electric model. That means this car technically replaces both the outgoing Charger and the Challenger in Dodge’s lineup. For 2024, there will only be two trim variants: R/T and Scat Pack. And since 2024 is nearly at its end, this will be an extremely short first model year for the Charger Daytona.

Exterior Design: Muscle Made New

Ever since Dodge released the sixth-generation Charger back in 2006, old school Mopar enthusiasts have cried about the car having too many doors, as it was always a two-door for the early part of its existence. These critics can now have their cake and eat it too, because Dodge revived the two-door Charger and will also introduce a four-door version that will arrive in mid-2025.

With so few two-door coupes being released these days, it’s difficult to comprehend just how different the Charger Daytona is from anything past, present, or future. This car measures over 206 inches long; to put into perspective, that’s two inches longer than a Chrysler Pacifica minivan. A 121-inch wheelbase, longer than a Chevy Tahoe, affords ample interior space. It’s also nearly 82 inches wide without the mirrors, which is wider than the outgoing Charger Hellcat Widebody. If you’re looking for a larger two-door vehicle, it will have a Roll-Royce hood ornament.

Those substantial proportions give the Charger Daytona something the previous Charger couldn’t replicate; nostalgic proportions. This car looks like The Dukes of Hazard teleported to 2024 and bought a new Charger, but traded in the controversial paint job for another kind of controversy. Speaking of paints, Dodge hasn’t forgotten how to create some hilarious color names, including After Dark, Bludicrous, Destroyer Grey, Peel Out, and Redeye. I spent most of the day driving a Redeye example, which really helped the bold lines stand out. If you see one up close, be sure to check out the R-Wing, an easy-to-miss front spoiler that keeps the retro styling while improving the aerodynamics.

18-inch wheels come standard on the R/T trim, but you can upgrade to 20-inch wheels as part of a $1,095 Blacktop Package. Even with the larger wheels, there is a sizable gap in the arch that some enthusiasts might want to fix with some spacers and a lowering kit. I’m typically a fan of silver wheels, since they show more of the pattern, but the Dark Aluminum wheels clearly look like a better fit for this car.

Interior: Vintage Meets Modern

The outgoing Charger remained on the market longer than most vehicles, and it felt long in the tooth by the time it exited production. This new Daytona model feels like a breath of fresh air, both in terms of design and technology. Black cloth and leatherette seats come standard, though none of the vehicles available at the drive event had this combination. Full Black leatherette is available on the Plus Group ($4,995), which also adds heated/ventilated seats, a larger gauge cluster, Deluxe security alarm, power hatch, head-up display, 360-degree camera, wireless charging pad, puddle lamps, 20-inch wheels, a front trunk, and more.

For $495 more, that leatherette can be finished in Demonic Red or you can get a combination of suede and leatherette or suede and Nappa leather in a Track Package (standard on Scat Pack) or Carbon & Suede Package ($2,995). R/T models get a standard seat that’s fairly comfortable, while the Scat Pack upgrades to a more visually appealing and bolstered high back sport seat. There is a lot of cheap plastic on the doors, but it’s textured in an interesting way and can be illuminated with 64-color ambient lighting.

Every Charger Dayona gets a 12.3.inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus other great features. There are buttons for the audio and climate controls, though the former can be difficult to read in direct sunlight. Dodge only had pre-production examples to drive, but the infotainment software felt laggy to use. For the first time ever, Dodge has teamed up with Cosworth to create a Drive Experience Record, which can track your lap times right on the infotainment system. That screen comes paired with a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster or a larger 16-inch one with multiple display modes. An Alpine nine-speaker 506-watt audio system comes standard, but buyers can upgrade to an 18-speaker Alpine system with 914 watts optionally.

Because the Charger is one of the largest two-door cars on sale at present (being shorter than only the Rolls-Royce Spectre), it has more space than you’d ever expect. Getting into the back seat is exceedingly easy; just pull a strap, tilt the front seat, and it will power-slide forward to create a large opening. Tipping it back will automatically send it back to its original position. Not only can three people fit in the back of the Charger Daytona, they can do some comfortably with plenty of legroom, even if those occupants are over six feet tall. Rear passengers even get their own air vents, heated seats, and USB-C ports. Dodge also hid a hatchback behind those rear seats, and cargo space climbs from 16.5 cubic feet in the old sedan to 22.7 in this coupe (38.5 cubes with the rear seats folded) plus a small 1.5 cubic foot frunk.

How It Drives: A Great Muscle Car Impression

Dodge had both versions of the Charger Daytona on-hand to review. Both trims get a dual-motor electric setup, though the power outputs differ greatly. The R/T will initially come standard with a Stage 1 performance kit, which enables 496 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque. As a reminder, the outgoing Charger R/T with its 5.7-liter Hemi V8 only produced 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. Thrill seekers will want the Scat Pack, which brings the total output to 670 hp and 627 lb-ft with a standard Stage 2 kit. That far exceeds the output from the previous 6.4-liter Hemi Scat Pack, which only developed 485 hp and 475 lb-ft, though these numbers are only achieved for a 10-second burst using a feature called PowerShot that adds 40 hp. It’s unclear if Dodge will offer the R/T and Scat Pack models without the Stage 1 and Stage 2 kits (which add 40 and 80 hp, respectively) in the future.

Performance Impressions

While Mopar fans mourn the death of the V8 engine, anyone willing to embrace the future will meet them at the finish line with a hankie to cry into, because the Charger Daytona is quicker than the ICE vehicle it replaces. I recorded a 4.67-second 0-60 mph run in the R/T (slightly quicker than Dodge’s 4.7-second estimate), which was a tricky number to get because this trim level does not include launch control. In the quarter-mile, it should finish in 12.6 seconds, about a second ahead of the old V8.

While the R/T makes due with Auto, Eco, Sport, Wet-Snow, and Valet modes, the Scat Pack adds a Drag/Track mode with launch control as well as a Drift/Donut mode that enables full rear-drive for big slides. On the road, I was able to clock 60 mph in 3.73 seconds, falling well shy of the 3.3-second estimate. On the drag strip, I recorded a much closer 3.4-second sprint, smoking all four tires on the launch, with an 11.605 quarter-mile time (the quickest time of the day). Dodge says the Scat Pack can complete the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds, which is nearly a full second quicker than the Hemi and about the same time as a Hellcat Redeye.

The Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust (basically a giant external speaker) is the major story here, and it’s bound to cause controversy. On start-up and shutdown, it makes a futuristic whine that sounds straight out of Star Trek. Dodge differentiated the Scat Pack by making the exhaust louder in the Drag and Track modes, which can only be matched for 10 second bursts in the R/T while using the PowerShot. Dodge says it didn’t want to replicate the V8, but rather create a unique noise for the Charger Daytona. For sporty driving, we enjoyed having some reference to the sensation of speed, though the addition of fake gears (like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N) would have made it feel more authentic. During normal commuting or highway driving, the system can be turned off entirely, defaulting to silence.

Ride and Handling

The R/T trim gets passive suspension that’s tuned relatively comfortably, meaning it should serve well as someone’s daily driver. Upgrading to the Scat Pack adds a dual-valve semi-active suspension that feels more controlled over rough pavement, but can also firm up more for sporty driving. I spent most of my street time in the R/T, which impressed me while driving up a narrow mountain pass that would have felt tight even in a Miata. The steering is more direct than the outgoing Charger and the weight feels easier to manage thanks to the even distribution of the batteries versus an engine.

Dodge also let me take the car on the track at the Radford Racing School, which uses Chargers and Challengers to teach customers how to improve their driving skills. Even equipped with 16-inch vented Brembo brakes (six piston front and four piston rear), the Charger Daytona still doesn’t feel like a track star. It tends to push wide in tight corners, loses front end grip from its Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 tires, and gets twitchy under braking. But let’s not forget, the old Charger did all of these things too. Where this new model improves is coming out of the corner. You can punch the throttle, manage the rear end thanks to the all-wheel-drive grip, and fly out onto the straights where the old V8 would still be waiting to build revs.

Fuel Range and Battery Info

Just like the old V8 models, Dodge didn’t build this new Charger Daytona with maximum efficiency at the top of mind. A 100.5 kWh battery pack enables a 308-mile driving range on the R/T, though that number drops significantly down to 268 miles with the wider wheel and tire package. As for the Scat Pack, which comes standard on 305/35ZR20XL​​​ Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season tires, it only manages 241 miles. That number can actually shrink further with the available rear 325/35ZR20 tires.

Since both versions only get a 400-volt architecture, not a faster 800-volt system found in other modern EVs, they can only reach a peak charging speed of 183 kW. On a 350 kW charger, Dodge says they should go from 5-80% in 32.5 minutes or from 20-80% in 24 minutes. On a slower 175 kW charger, these numbers balloon to 52.4 and 41.9 minutes, respectively. 11 kW home charging should enable a 5-80% charge in 6.8 hours or 20-80% in 5.4 hours. Dodge will release a high-performance Banshee model with 800-volt charging, but we wish this feature would have been included across the lineup.

Verdict & Pricing: A Charger Like No Other

Swapping out a family of engines that predate the iPhone for electric motors and batteries isn’t going to happen without a substantial cost. The Charger Daytona R/T starts at $59,595, not including a hefty $1,995 destination fee. That’s a huge increase over the outgoing R/T ($45,065), but keep in mind that this car produces significantly more power. Ditto for the Scat Pack, which is now priced at $73,190, $21,265 more than the outgoing model ($51,925). However, if you look at the numbers and how the Scat Pack performs, it’s much cheaper than the Hellcat Widebody Jailbreak ($85,865). I guess that’s a silver lining?

Sadly, you will only get a $7,500 tax credit if you lease, because the Charger Daytona exceeds the $55,000 price cap for non-SUVs and trucks. That’s if you even get the credit at all, because the next presidential administration is looking to remove it. Dodge does throw in a Level 2 home charger or a $600 credit on its Free2Move public charging network, which is a small incentive but not a reason to rush out and buy one.

I promised brutal honesty in this review, and here it comes. This car can only be reviewed in two pieces: how it is as an EV and how it replaces the outgoing Charger/Challenger. For the former, it’s pretty great for Dodge’s first attempt at an EV. It looks epic, the interior is vastly better than the previous car, and the practicality is bewildering. I would have loved to see some more impressive range or at least quicker charging speeds to help convince the EV naysayers that this could truly replace their V8 for a fun road trip. But let’s face it, that was never Dodge’s forte; has anyone ever gone 300 miles on one tank in a Hellcat?

Now for the more serious question; will current Charger and Challenger owners be excited by this new, all-electric model? If internet commentators are to be believed, there’s not a snowball’s chance in a Hellcat V8. There are many people out there for whom the V8 is not just a propulsion system, it’s a religion. You can tell them it’s better for the environment, faster down a strip too, but buying an EV would be akin to rooting for their city’s rival sports team… There’s quite literally nothing Dodge could do to attract these buyers, even telling them it attracts supermodels from the front and emits free Coors Light from the back.

But simply reading the comments doesn’t tell the full story. I drove this car before anyone else will see them on the road, and the public reactions are far different from what social media might have you believe. There was genuine excitement from people who saw a convoy of Chargers driving down the road, and several people stopped to ask me about the car. A few Charger and Challenger owners pointed at it from their cars and one even told me “it looks great” before asking about the horsepower. I hope people will at least give it a chance, as Dodge’s future hinges on this car. And for the naysayers who would sooner see the sun go dark than give up their gasoline engine, there’s an inline-six version coming next year.