The Dodge//SRT brand teased us yesterday with a 14-second teaser video on the social media accounts depicting the all-new 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody. Now, we are getting our first look at what may be the first stage of what Dodge has planned for its Charger lineup. First off, Dodge//SRT threw us for a loop. Our sources told us that three Dodge Charger Widebody models were coming, however, Dodge only is showing off two models at the current moment, the SRT HELLCAT and R/T Scat Pack models.
We also announced that a new design was coming for HELLCAT models, while the R/T Scat Pack was to adopt the current SRT HELLCAT hood. But that isn’t the case here. We are still hoping the new performance hood will make its debut on the SRT HELLCAT Redeye models, but let’s dig into the new upgrades for the Dodge Charger for the 2020 model year.
New for 2020, the Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody is the standard package on Charger SRT HELLCAT models. That’s right, no more standard body HELLCAT. The widebody package is optional on the R/T Scat Pack models. However, if you want to step up to the supercharged four-door sedan you must take the widebody package. With the continuation of the current hood design, this means the car stays at its 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft of torque power levels. The widebody package also lowers the top-speed of the SRT HELLCAT to 196 mph (down from 204 mph), however, it is still good enough to keep the title of the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world. Just goes to show you how advanced the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT was when it was launched.
Along with its new menacing stance, the newly designed front fascia of the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody includes a new “mail-lot grille” design, similar to what we have seen on the Durango SRT. This new grille provides the most direct route for cool air to the radiator. This helps maintain ideal operating temperatures in the hottest conditions. The car also includes a new side-sills that connect the new front and rear fascias, while giving the car a more aggressive profile. A new rear-spoiler, unique to the HELLCAT model, adds more aero-balance. Two-piece Satin Chrome SRT HELLCAT fender badges are also new for 2020, while the interior gets a new HELLCAT I/P badge too.
Three wheel designs will be available for the 2020 model year on HELLCAT Widebody. The standard wheel will be a forged split-five spoke with a Low-Gloss Carbon Black finish. There will also be a “Warp Speed” deep dish, with Low-Gloss Granite finish available and an optional Brass Monkey wheel as well. The Pirelli 305/35ZR20 all-season performance tires from the Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody are standard but three-season tires are available.
The 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody also adds a bunch of new standard features that will make the overall driveability on the street and/or the track much more comfortable. For the first time, the Charger SRT HELLCAT now comes with standard electronic power steering (EPS), with improves handling performance and gives better steering feel which allows for ease of turning at lower speeds.
The supercharged four-door sedan also gets stiffer springs, larger sway bars, and specifically tuned shocks. Dodge increased the front spring rates to make the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody, 32% stiffer than the 2019 model. The larger sway bars have grown 2 mm in the front (32 mm to 34 mm) and 3 mm in the rear (19 mm to 22 mm). Thanks to the bigger contact patch of rubber to the road, the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody also stops four feet shorter (107 feet) from 60-0 mph than the 2019 model.
Of course, the Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody gets the same race-inspired technology found under the hood of the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody. Features such as…
- Race Cooldown – Which keeps cooling the supercharger/charge air cooler after the engine is shut off by running the intercooler pump and radiator fan.
- Line Lock – Which engages the front brakes to hold the car stationary, but leaves the rear wheels free for a burnout to heat up and clean the rear tires.
- Launch Control – Manages tire slip while launching the vehicle to allow the driver to achieve consistent straight-line acceleration.
- Launch Assist – This feature uses wheel speed sensors to watch for driveline-damaging wheel hop at launch, and in milliseconds, modified the engine torque to regain full grip.
While the Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT is own for its straight-line speed, the Widebody kit adds improved performance on the drag strip or road course. SRT engineers were able to achieve a 0-60 mph time of just 3.6 seconds and a quarter-mile elapsed time (ET) in 10.96 seconds and pulls of .96 g on the skidpad. The widebody kit also gives the 2020 model a 2.1-second faster lap on the 2.1-mile test track, which equals to about 13 car lengths a lap.
What do you think of the new Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody? Do you think its enough to keep the aging Charger fresh for the next few model years? How about making the HELLCAT a Widebody model only? Leave your comments below. Later, we will be discussing the new Charger R/T Scat Pack Widebody as that deserves its own post.
2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody Image Gallery:
UPDATED: With Video.
