During the media preview of the 2024-2025 Dodge Charger lineup, brand boss Tim Kuniskis was talking about the SIXPACK models and how they would offer excellent performance. To try to give the media some perspective of performance levels, he made a comment about how some of us had just driven the Ram 1500 with the same Hurricane engine, so imagine a similar engine in a vehicle that is 700-800 pounds lighter. The media first drive event for the new Ram 1500 was held a short time before the media debut of the next-generation Dodge Charger, and I was among those people who attended both the Charger preview and the first drive event of the Hurricane-powered Ram 1500. Having had to the chance to push the new engine hard in the half-ton trucks, I understand what Kuniskis was saying and I am confident that the 2025 Dodge Charger SIXPACK is going to be a hell of a lot of fun to drive.
During the media first drive event for the new Ram 1500 lineup with the Hurricane I6 engines, I spent the majority of my day driving a beautiful Tungsten model with the Hurricane High Output. The new Tungsten trim line redefines luxury for the half-ton segment, with every imaginable premium feature inside and lots of chrome on the outside – including polished 22-inch wheels. All of that luxury adds lots of weight to the cabin, so the Ram 1500 that I spent a day driving was one of the heaviest possible configurations. The Ram Trucks website lists the curb weight for a variety of 2025 Ram 1500 models, and they range (with 4×4) between 4,700 and 5,100 pounds. Based on Kuniskis’ comment about the 700-800 pound weight difference, that would put the Dodge Charger SIXPACK in the lower 4,000-pound range.
The 3.0-liter Hurricane High Output does a fantastic job of powering the Ram 1500, providing a clear advantage in acceleration over the 5.7-liter HEMI® engine that it effectively replaces. Low end power delivery is a bit different, as the naturally aspirated HEMI engine offers a slightly sharper shot of power at the initial point of launch, but the Hurricane I6 turbochargers quickly get up to their peak boost levels, allowing this smaller engine to pull considerably harder through the gears than the HEMI engine. When cruising at speed, when you hammer the throttle to ask for gobs more power in a hurry, the 8-speed transmission is quick to drop down a few gears and the engine speed soars, leading to impressive torque delivery and excellent mid-range acceleration. Also, for those wondering, even with the heavy 22-inch wheels, the Ram 1500 Tungsten with the Hurricane High Output will effortlessly roast the rear tires through multiple gears.
In the Dodge Charger SIXPACK, the Hurricane will have to move far less weight and it will have slightly more horsepower than the Ram 1500. With “only” 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, a 4,400-pound Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack with a good set of drag radial tires can get very close to the 11-second quarter-mile range, with traction being a key to getting the best track times.
The 2025 Dodge Charger SIXPACK will have 550 horsepower, but we don’t know the torque output yet. We know that the Hurricane High Output offers 500 lb-ft of torque in the Jeep® Grand Wagoneer and 521 lb-ft of torque in the Ram 1500, so the Charger SIXPACK will likely have more torque than the Charger R/T Scat Pack. More importantly, the SIXPACK will come with an advanced all-wheel-drive system, so racers will be able to put far more power to the ground on launch without spinning the tires – even without sticky drag radials. When you look at the advantages in horsepower, torque and traction for the Charger SIXPACK and factor in a curb weight that could be lower than the Scat Pack, 11-second quarter-mile times are a very reasonable expectation in ideal conditions. Realistically, even if the SIXPACK is heavier than the Scat Pack, the other advantages are likely to make it quicker in the quarter-mile.
Also, with the Hurricane I6 weighing a bit less than the HEMI V8 engine, the Dodge Charger SIXPACK could offer a slightly more balanced front-to-rear weight ratio than the Charger Scat Pack (55/45). When coupled with the advanced all-wheel-drive system, less weight over the front end should yield better handling capabilities for next-generation Charger.
Devout HEMI fans don’t want to hear it, but in the Ram 1500 and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the Hurricane High Output does a better job of supporting performance-minded driving than the HEMI V8 engine. When that same engine becomes available in the Dodge Charger SIXPACK, the Brotherhood of Muscle will have another performance car that will get your blood pumping when you put the gas pedal to the floor.
0 Comments