Dodge//SRT upset a lot of Charger enthusiasts last year when the company launched the two-door 2019 Dodge Challenger Widebody lineup. Charger fans were left thinking that their four-door muscle car had been forgotten by the performance brand and had to sit trackside while the big Challenger got all the praise. A year later, it’s the Charger’s turn, with the introduction of the new trio of Charger Widebody (Scat Pack, HELLCAT, and HELLCAT Daytona) models.
With its new front and rear styling and bold fender flares, the 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody models create an even more menacing look to the Charger’s already aggressive style. Personally, as a Charger owner, I was not a huge fan of the new look that the Widebody models gave the car. That was until I got up close to it and spend some time around the car first hand.
The new “mail slot” opening that has been featured on a number of SRT vehicles like Durango SRT and Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is located directly below the new smaller grille, gives the car a “pissed off” look at it approaches in your rearview mirror. The wider fenders give the impression that the car is ready to pounce and looks more natural on the Charger’s body when compared to its Challenger sibling.
Inside, not much has changed. The Charger still has a similar look and feel that the car has been touting around since 2015. But for 2020, there are some nice interior appearance packages that give the four-door Charger a more luxury feel. The 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody offers a new ” Carbon & Suede Package” that adds real carbon fiber accents to the instrument panel and console bezels, giving the car’s interior a much more performance-oriented look. Carbon fiber isn’t the only thing the package adds, a beautiful Dinamica suede headliner, sun visors, and A-pillars also make the 2020 cars stand out compared to Chargers of the past.
There is also a lot of small touches added to the 2020 Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody’s interior like a new HELLCAT instrumental panel badge with a really slick black and red finish. The new optioned SRT flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped Alcantara, gives you touches from the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon that we absolutely love. While the standard heated and ventilated Laguna leather front seats, showcase the HELLCAT logo while offering three color choices (Black, Black/Sepia or Black/Demonic Red) that not only give a more upscale look to the four-door muscle car but feel comfortable during long drives as well.
We were surprised that the new 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody had as many wheel choices as it did, at the launch of the car. While the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody cars, got only one wheel design as standard, the Charger variant offers three unique wheel choices. Standard is our personal favorite style of wheel, a new 20-inch x 11-inch forged split-five spoke in a low-gloss Carbon Black finish. The split-five spokes are some of the best looking wheels, we have seen from Dodge//SRT yet and look great on every color we have seen them on so far. The two are options are a “Wrap Speed” design finished in a Granite color, these look very similar to the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT wheels and of course are the optional “Brass Monkey” which are offered in the Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody’s “Devils Rim” design.
In the performance department, while the Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody gets the same power specifications as the outgoing 2019 car, the adoption of the widebody kit adds a whole new level of performance to the big four-door sedan. Putting more rubber under the supercharged HEMI allows the car even more handling than before and completely transforms the handling characteristics. While the big supercharged Charger has no problem breaking the tires loose and causing massive clouds of smoke, the 2020 car seems to be a lot more controllable and predictable. Electric power steering is standard on the 2020 car, which adds even more feedback to the adjustable steering features when changing between “Street” and “Track” modes compared to the 2019 car. The addition of the Challenger Widebody’s suspension upgrades seemed to be more balanced in the longer wheelbase Charger.
The 2020 car gets increased front spring rates (32% stiffer than the 2019 car), larger sway bars (34mm in the front, 22mm in the rear), and retuned shocks with revised valving to complement the stiffer springs. Along with the big Pirelli 305/35ZR20 tires (all-season tires are standard, three-season tires are available), the car outperforms the 2019 model in every aspect except for top-speed (which drops from 204 mph to 196 mph). Dodge//SRT says the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody runs 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, has a quarter-mile elapsed time (ET) in 10.96 seconds and pulls .96 g on the skidpad. It also delivers a road course lap time 2.1 seconds faster than the vehicle it replaces after one lap of a 2.1-mile track. That is equal to 13 car lengths per lap. Impressive numbers for the 4,586 lb. performance sedan.
While we are disappointed that Dodge//SRT discontinued the non-Widebody variant for 2020, we were surprised that the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody offers all the additional performance for only $2,150 USD more than the outgoing 2019 model. While the 2020 car isn’t cheap with a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $69,645 excluding the $1,495 destination charge, it offers a level of performance that is unmatched in the sedan segment for a similar price.
Ordering for the supercharged sedans will begin soon with cars arriving in showrooms in the first quarter of 2020. For more information, visit Dodge.com or your local Dodge//SRT dealer.
What do you think of the new 2020 Dodge Charger SRT HELLCAT Widebody? Would you rather have a Widebody of a non-Widebody Charger? Let us know in the comments below.
