The Dodge Charger has been around now for 15 years and despite the overall demise of large and small sedans, Dodge is bucking the trend. In the fourth quarter of 2019 for example, Dodge sold 25,829 examples of the Charger, that’s an increase of 23% over the same three-month period last year. In 2019, Dodge sold 96,935 Dodge Chargers in the US, an increase of 21% over 2018. So far this year, despite Covid 19 crippling auto sales, Dodge sold 30,084 Chargers through the end of June.

People are still buying big rear-wheel-drive cars and Dodge has one they want, being one of the few manufacturers who still make affordable large sedans. The Charger’s retro looks, and big powerful engines have worked wonders in luring people into dealerships and away from buying the ubiquitous Crossovers seen everywhere.

What’s the Widebody?

So to keep the big Charger fresh Dodge has introduced a Widebody package, similar to what is available on the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack and Hellcat. The Widebody adds 3.5 inches of width to the Charger, and some much-needed bigger tires. But there are many more changes, the 2020 Charger Widebody now has electric power steering, a revised version of the SRT-tuned Bilstein three-mode adaptive damping suspension. Dodge has modified the springs, sway bars, and shocks so the front spring rates are now 27 percent stiffer than before, with a rear sway bar that’s up from 19 mm to 22 mm in diameter, along with re-tuned shocks with revised valving.

The exhaust is loud, obnoxious, and I love it.

Brakes are now taken from the Hellcat, massive 15.4-inch two-piece front brake rotors with six-piston Brembo calipers and four-piston rear calipers stop the car extremely well with the 60-to-zero stopping distance reduced to only 107 feet, impressive for a 4,400 lb car.

My 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody, uses the same naturally aspirated, 392-cubic-inch (6.4 liters) V8 and produces 485 hp @ 6000 rpm and 475 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm. Mated to an excellent and quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission this car will do 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, which is not far off the Hellcat’s 3.6 seconds, all due to the traction issues the Hellcat has on its street tires.

But will it upset the neighbors?

Yes, the exhaust is loud, obnoxious, and I love it. On startup, it burbles and rumbles and there’s no whiny supercharger as in the Hellcat, it’s just natural aspiration at its best. Press down the gas pedal in Sport mode and all hell breaks loose, as do the tires if you’re not careful, and the exhaust bellows like the god of thunder…….it’s absolutely glorious.

Does the Widebody make it a better drive?

Yes, it does, it’s still a big, heavy car though so don’t expect miracles. Dodge engineers have done a great job in getting this car to where it is today and it shows, you no longer feel like you’re just chucking some big unwieldy sedan into a corner. On the road, this gives it an appreciable boost in feel and control, body roll is well controlled, the steering has more weight and the whole experience is an improvement. Push really hard into a corner though and it will understeer, but nothing that a dab of throttle won’t correct. The ride is on the hard side but it’s a small price to pay to keep the car controlled.

With 12-inch-wide tires I can assure you that this Charger generates a lot of cornering grip, it’s very impressive and very composed going into and coming out of bends. Even in tight turns in 2nd or 3rd gear, it is quite remarkable considering its size and weight. The upgraded anti-roll bars, stiffer springs, and three-mode adaptive dampers of this Widebody version are the reason why it feels so planted. Add to that and unless you are brutal with the throttle at a standstill, traction is very good. I remember 2016 Charger Scat Pack I tested would spin its wheels at the drop of a hat.

A familiar interior

It’s all very familiar once you get inside the Charger; you quickly notice that it hasn’t changed much in more than a decade. This isn’t a bad thing since the seats are very comfortable and hold you in place well and in my tester were leather appointed with multi-way power. FCA’s UConnect 8.4-inch infotainment system is still one of the best (Lexus take note) is easy and intuitive to use. Bluetooth set up is simple and for the most part, the touch screen is simple to use. I really liked the old school speedometer and overall driving position except the gas pedal has a very long travel so getting situated ideally was a bit of a fumble.

The Charger’s touch screen also has Performance Apps built-in and offers an Electronic line lock, which holds the front brakes so you can do burnouts, as well as launch control with an adjustable rev limit. Various gauges in the instrument cluster and infotainment screen allow for monitoring details like engine output and fluid temperatures, while various timers permit measuring acceleration, braking and G-force figures.

My tester’s price was $62,250 and had some unnecessary options checked including a Satin Black Graphics Package ($3,495) which covers the delightful F8 Green paint. I would also skip the power sunroof ($1,295), the Technology Group (1,985), the Harmon Kardon ($1,595) because that exhaust noise is all I’ll ever need. This would drop the price to $51,880, a relative bargain.

In Conclusion

The last Widebody I drove was the Challenger with a 6-speed stick and I was somewhat underwhelmed by its performance since the manual doesn’t get the drive modes and Dodge’s manual transmission isn’t the slickest or easiest to use. This Charger Widebody is only available as an auto, which for me is a good thing and I’m not complaining. The Charger impressed me with its bad-ass looks, big V8 attitude, and thunderous exhaust note.  There’s really no way to creep home in the early hours without waking up the neighbors.

2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody

BASE PRICE: $39,995
PRICE AS TESTED: $60,250
VEHICLE TYPE: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4 door, 5 passenger sedan 
ENGINE: 6.4 liter, 16-valve V-8
POWER: 485 hp @ 6000 rpm
TORQUE: 475 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 4,400 lb 
0-60 MPH: 4.3 sec
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 15/24/18 mpg
OUR OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY: 12.6 mpg
PROS: Great looking, a fantastic exhaust, terrific brakes
CONS: Thirsty, dated interior

2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody Review