The Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger, in current form, are coming to an end, and the Dodge brand is seizing the opportunity to celebrate in true, over-the-top Dodge style. The Dodge 2023 lineup will pay homage to the muscle car pair with seven special models, the return of a rainbow of heritage colors, an expansion of SRT Jailbreak models, a commemorative “Last Call” underhood plaque for all 2023 Charger and Challenger vehicles and a new, customer-focused vehicle allocation process.
Demon, Hellcat, Redeye, Scat Pack, Shaker, Jailbreak. Iconic Dodge Charger and Challenger models have ushered in a second golden age of the muscle car, continuously elevating the magic number for performance from the 707 horsepower of the original Hellcat to the 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon. Since the modern-day Charger was launched in 2005, the Brampton (Ontario, Canada) Assembly Plant has built 3 million Dodge vehicles, representing a billion horsepower.
Charger and Challenger are departing on top — Challenger closed 2021 as the No. 1 muscle car in the U.S. — with enthusiast demand that will only gain momentum as the brand teases the rollout of the 2023 vehicle lineup.
“We are celebrating the end of an era — and the start of a bright new electrified future — by staying true to our brand,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis. “At Dodge, we never lift, and the brand will mark the last of our iconic Charger and Challenger nameplates in their current form in the same way that got us here, with a passion both for our products and our enthusiasts that drives us to create as much uniqueness in the muscle car community and marketplace as possible.”
New Models Embrace Dodge Heritage
Dodge will pay tribute to the long and legendary history of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger by introducing seven heritage-influenced models for the 2023 model year. The models were teased and displayed under full vehicle covers at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, during the first day of the three-day Dodge Speed Week event, which featured announcements and reveals of current Dodge products.
Each model will share a connection to an iconic Dodge model from the past, reaching back to the dawn of the muscle-car era in the 1960s and 1970s. Graphics featured on each vehicle cover offer hints to the secret identities of the models displayed at M1 Concourse.
Details and specific information on six of the vehicles will be released later this year. The new models will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis at top-selling Dodge dealerships, with a list of dealerships to be shared on DodgeGarage.com.
The seventh and final 2023 Dodge model will be the very last of its kind and will be revealed at the 2022 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, scheduled for Nov. 1-4, 2022.
Heritage Colors, Commemorative Plaques and Jailbreaks
Dodge brand will also celebrate its 2023 model lineup by bringing back three beloved heritage exterior colors: B5 Blue, Plum Crazy purple and Sublime green. One popular modern color, Destroyer Grey, also returns to the fold. Charger and Challenger will each offer 14 total 2023 exterior color options. 2023 Charger and Challenger R/T models will also feature new “345” fender badging, a callout to the 345-cubic-inch HEMI® engine under the hood.
All 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger models will also carry a special commemorative “Last Call” underhood plaque, making every 2023 Charger and Challenger a true collector’s vehicle. The brushed aluminum underhood “Last Call” plaque features the vehicle name and a vehicle silhouette, as well as “Designed in Auburn Hills” and “Assembled in Brampton” to proclaim each vehicle’s origin.
The brand is also expanding the reach of its popular SRT Jailbreak models, which were introduced earlier this year for the Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, unlocking color combination ordering restrictions and exclusive content. For 2023 model year, Jailbreak models will also be available for the 717-horsepower Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat, providing even more owners the option of building their own one-of-a-kind muscle car.
Making the “Last Call”
Dodge is taking a new approach to getting the Charger and Challenger in the hands of its enthusiasts. The entire 2023 Charger and Challenger model-year run will be allocated to dealerships all at once, helping customers identify and secure their dream cars more easily.
Dodge will provide customers a guide for locating their desired Charger or Challenger at DodgeGarage.com, which will include information on all 2023 Charger and Challenger inventory at each Dodge dealership.
Ordering and pricing information for the 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.
Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.
In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.
SOURCE: Stellantis
