Dodge’s All-New Charger Daytona Will Debut On March 5th

Finally, we are getting our first official word on when we can see the production-ready 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona. At the J.D. Power Auto Summit in Las Vegas this week, Matt McAlear, Dodge’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, announced that the all-electric Charger Daytona would be making its official debut on March 5th.

But McAlear insists that the Charger Daytona isn’t here to pave the way for the fuel conscience: “This is the next generation of muscle,” he said. “We’re not going for the lowest drag coefficient, we’re not going for the highest mileage. We’re going to truly set a new bar.”

The new “e-muscle” car is set to debut in a new two-door form, going back to the car’s original roots. The new two-door model will ultimately replace the retro stylish Dodge Challenger and will be accompanied by a new four-door variant later in the year.

While Dodge has yet to officially announce an internal combustion-powered model, our sources indicate that the all-electric Charger Daytona will be joined later by two new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six offerings. The Hurricane-powered cars will not carry the Daytona name and instead be badged simply as Charger. The entry-level S/O or standard-output model is expected to produce around 420 horsepower. In comparison, an H/O or high-output model could produce 535 horsepower, making it 50 horsepower more powerful than the outgoing Scat Pack’s 6.4-liter (392 cubic-inch) HEMI® V8. It remains to be seen if the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 could return in the new car to give customers a more entry-level offering that is easier on the wallet.

As for the Charger Daytona, Dodge is pushing the all-electric e-muscle car simply due to the baseline performance the new cars will produce. Our sources have indicated that the Charger Daytona will come with a standard dual e-motor setup, allowing for the Charger Daytona to come standard with all-wheel-drive (AWD). Offering two different electrical architectures (400-volt and 800-volt), the new Charger Daytona looks to offer an electrified model for everyone.

At the entry level of the Charger Daytona, we will have a 340 model. The 340 moniker will be boldly plastered on the side of the car, indicating that the car has an output of 456 horsepower or 340 kW. That car will be followed up with another 400-volt offering, the Charger Daytona 440. This car will have a baseline of 440 kW or 590 horsepower. Both of these cars will be offered with eStage upgrade kits, which can be ordered at delivery or throughout the vehicle’s lifespan. Two upgrade kits will be available on each model, giving the 340 the potential of the following…

• 340 Base – 340 kW or 455 horsepower
  • Direct Connection eStage 1 Upgrade – 370 kW or 495 horsepower
  • Direct Connection eStage 2 Upgrade – 400 kW or 535 horsepower
• 440 Base – 440 kW or 590 horsepower
  • Direct Connection eStage 1 Upgrade – 470 kW or 630 horsepower
  • Direct Connection eStage 2 Upgrade – 500 kW or 670 horsepower

Each eStage upgrade will come with specified badging for the front quarter-panel of the car, highlighting the kW output, a special “crystal” designated to that car which unlocks that output (think of it as a Red keyfob from the HELLCATs), and a dealer installed tune that unlocks the desired performance for the customer.

Each new Charger Daytona will follow in the footsteps of the concept that made its debut in 2022, with the radical new R-wing front spoiler design that takes the grille area and pushes air over the top of the hood. It will also feature a new hatchback design, which should allow owners more flexibility to carry items. We saw the concept several times over the past year and a half, and the hatchback design isn’t a bad thing for the Charger. On the outside, the new hatchback mimics a sedan with a very short decklid, however, the rear glass opens up and reminds us of the original 1966 Dodge Charger’s fastback design.

There is also the much-talked-about Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system. Yes, the production car will have it. The Charger Daytona pushes air through chambers to simulate an exhaust note. We weren’t impressed with it the first time we heard it at the unveiling at M1 Concourse. But Dodge has continued to fine-tune it, with Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis promising that each model will get its own unique tone. So we are curious to hear how this new system will perform, considering that it is supposed to be as loud as a HELLCAT, with 126 decibels (dB) of sound.

The new 400-volt Dodge Charger Daytona two-door should kick off production in the second quarter of 2024 at the Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario. It is expected that a four-door model will follow later this year, most likely in the fourth quarter.

But for those who want the ultimate electric Charger Daytona – the 800-volt SRT “Banshee”, you may be waiting for a while. Our sources have told us that Dodge plans on releasing that vehicle sometime next year. The 800-volt Banshee will not only be able to charge faster, but should be able to put out a baseline of 885 horsepower. Of course, for those looking for Tesla Model S Plaid-killing numbers, there will be two available Direct Connection eStage kits for the Banshee, however, Dodge has yet to officially release any numbers. However, to be on par with the Plaid, we expect the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee eStage 2 car to have over 1,050 horsepower.

It will be interesting to see how Dodge handles the new Charger Daytona lineup, as far as performance and pricing. With electric vehicle (EV) sales on a huge downturn in the U.S. at the moment, the car better be revolutionary than evolutionary.