By now, you’ve probably seen them all over the web, and if not here are a few pictures and a gallery of the redesigned 2015 Charger and the 2015 Challenger. The Charger, we’re told, is a completely new redesign, with every body panel refreshed and the floor pans changed to accommodate the eight-speed automatic trans that nets and estimated 31 MPG in V6 form.
The Charger has adopted what can only be described as a new Dodge Dart front end; some hate it and others love it, but it was overdue and Dodge really needed to do something to liven things up. For many enthusiasts, we would have to say that the two-door option should have been part of this refreshing. The rear lamps have changed slightly, a bit sleeker but still have the same shape and design as the 2014 model.
Some will comment that the four-door is more practical, but there is some merit to wanting a two-door Charger: it’s an iconic Mopar and the two-door version just looks much cooler anyway. For now, we’ll all just have to accept that the Charger has two extra doors, but it’s still not a bad looking sedan and as long as the Hemi stays, we’re good with it.
The Challenger received a facelift as well, and one of the more noticeable changes is the split grille, well, sort of. It’s not exactly split, but the two raised hoops gives it that appearance of being split, very reminiscent of the 1971 Challenger model. The headlamps have been upgraded to projector lamps with LED halos.
The new LED tail lamps are split, also; no more is the full width tail lamps from earlier models. The “DODGE” emblem in the center is between the separated rear lamps. It also appears the lower portion of the bumpers hang lower than prior models, too. Added colors for the Challenger include the very popular B5 blue, and a new sublime color that brightens things up.
The rest of the Challenger body, with the exception of the shark-fin antenna, looks much like the 2014 model. The shaker hood scoop looks right at home, though, and truly adds to the appeal of the refreshed Challenger, which has a slight bump in horsepower to 485 in the 6.4 Hemi. The rear spoiler has also been redesigned.
The interior of both cars have been completely redesigned, too. The Challenger has a larger, more flowing dash than prior models (much like the 2014 Charger), with a new higher console that is also 1971-inspired.. The Charger has changed a bit, but retains a very similar look to the 2014 model, with a slight console upgrade. The Charger also has the shark-fin antenna.
We’ll have complete updates from the New York International Auto Show coming soon, with fresh pictures from the displays, and hopefully some information about the new Hellcat Hemi, expected to make it’s long-awaited debut.
UPDATE – Some notable details:
- Eight-speed TorqueFlite transmission now paired with 5.7-liter HEMI on 2015 Charger R/T models and 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engines.
- Pentastar V-6 and eight-speed trans combination delivers 31 MPG.
- New interior design includes 7-inch reconfigurable gauge cluster and eight new trim and color combinations.
- Charger offfer over 80 safety and security features including: full-speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus (new for 2015), Adaptive Cruise Control Plus with Full Stop, Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist, ParkSense rear park assist and 9-1-1 Call/Assist Call
- Scat Pack 6.4-liter HEMI with 485 HP/475 lb-ft of torque via six-speed transmission or TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic.
- New 392 HEMI Scat Pack functional shaker hood.
- Eight-speed automatic transmission delivers world-class precision and fuel efficiency, and Sport mode and paddle-shifting capable.
- All new interior with 1971-inspired high-sill console, aluminum bezels, 14 color and trim combinations available.
- More than 70 safety and security features including: class-exclusive Forward Collision Warning (new for 2015), adaptive cruise control, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection.
- New electric power steering with three modes: normal, sport and comfort.
- Cast aluminum axle housing, updated suspension with Super Track Pak available on all models.
- Launch control improves acceleration for offline performance.
- Electronic shifter functions for visual and physical feedback.
Ralph Gilles shared the Hellcat with us at the Spring Festival; the Scat Pack bee on the new Challenger.
As we had mentioned before, we had hoped the debut of the Hellcat HEMI would happen at the Spring Festival of LXs, but as Mr. Gilles told us, they just weren’t ready to bring the cars out at that time, but we did get to see the new Hellcat logo on the t-shirts of all SRT members, and Ralph himself.