Charger GT AWD will be priced at $43,895
The engineers and marketers at Dodge seem to keep finding new ways to breathe life into their four-door Charger, despite the car being approximately as time immemorial. Whether it’s injecting heretofore unheard of levels of horsepower or reaching for the psychedelic end of the paint spectrum, FCA knows how to keep things interesting.
For the 2020 model year, they’ve taken a page from the Book of Challenger and added all-wheel drive to the Charger’s GT trim. The brute in a suit features an AWD system with an active transfer case and front-axle disconnect, a recipe that should deliver year-round performance to go with its with muscle car styling.
Under the bulging performance-styled hood is the company’s familiar 3.6L Pentastar V6, tuned here to belt out 300 horsepower and 264lb.-ft of torque hooked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Power is sent to a big set of all-season socks, measuring 235/55/19 in size. A quick perusal of popular tire retailers in this country reveal one should budget well over $1000 for winter rubber to fit this Charger GT, something one must do if they plan to take full advantage of the AWD system or attempt to replicate the press photos shown here. Budget accordingly.
Distinguishing this claws-out Charger from its all-wheel drive SXT brother is the application of the GT’s styling features, all of which take the Charger’s natural aggression and cranks it to eleven. In addition to the protuberant hood, GT trims receive a sterner front fascia, sculpted side sills, and a spoiler. You can bet it’ll be sold in a wide array of jazzy colours as well.
In addition to a set of body-hugging high-bolstered seats, one will find paddle shifters and an infotainment system equipped with Dodge Performance Pages once they climb into this sedan. With a new Sport mode active, AWD is fully engaged and engine speed is held higher under hard acceleration. For even more control, the driver can also use the die-cast steering-wheel mounted flappy paddle shifters. A superbly-named Super Track Pak button activates the aforementioned Dodge Performance Pages, a place where one will also find the car’s launch control features.
Buried in the press release but portending an afternoon of entertainment is the tidbit that the new Charger GT AWD also features three-mode ESC, one of which is a full off (they shoulda called it full send) mode. Dodge describes it as a “fun feature for drifting through snowy scenes.” Yee and haw, indeed.
Charger GT AWD will be priced at $43,895 (excluding $1,895 destination charge). The two-door Challenger SXT and GT AWD are also available for 2020 model year.
Keyword: At the Corner of Yee and Haw: 2020 Dodge Charger GT Adds All-Wheel Drive