The resignation of Carlos Tavares is raising hope that the Hemi could make a broader return into Stellantis products but Charger fans who think it’s as easy as a mere engine swap are in for a rude awakening according to a new report.
A new report appears to confirm a V8 is not coming to the Charger anytime soon.
When Carlos Tavares announced his sudden resignation, it raised new questions about some of the issues surrounding Stellantis as well as some of the decisions the former CEO made during his tenure. One of these decisions was the axing of the Hemi V8 from Stellantis’s vehicle lineup. The decision was made to increase fuel economy but while the aging V8 still has a home in the equally old Dodge Durango, it was also a sales generator and a popular option for most buyers.
This was the state of affairs for the Dodge Charger with a large slice of sales coming from V8-powered models. The V8 was axed for an inline-six in the revamped 2025 Charger, but buyers who think a mere engine swap is in order will be in for a rude surprise according to a new report which reveals it’s not as easy as some buyers think it is.
A major Charger redesign is needed
Hood clearance issues and other obstacles make the task of an engine swap deceptively difficult.
A key selling point of the 2025 Charger is its retro styling with the front end paying tribute to the spirit of 1960s models. However, if you’re a fan of those simple lines, the redesign that would be needed to fit the Hemi in would sour your mood. According to the report from Jalopnik, the current generation Charger was designed from the ground up to feature smaller powertrains with no plans for the V8 whatsoever. As a result, there are two key obstacles in the way of putting one in. A prominent one is that the engine doesn’t fit under the hood with the design not having enough clearance to successfully fit it in and close the hood. The solution would require moving the cradle and the firewall which is expensive and would require Dodge to run equally expensive crash tests.
In addition, it would also contradict Dodge’s recent marketing with the brand saying that the new model was supposed to be a demonstration of how muscle cars can be created for the modern world. The last thing that engineers and designers would like to see is the sleek performance model be equipped with a V8 that has its roots too firmly entrenched in the past to be the lead engine choice for the Charger with the Charger Daytona EV potentially suffering from internal sales cannibalization if a V8 version was sold alongside it.
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Dodge moving full speed ahead
Dodge is moving full speed ahead with its future product plans, but buyers looking for a taste of the past can go to their local dealer where plenty of old V8 models are still up for grabs.
When asked about the report a Stellantis spokesman issued a brief reply stating “Dodge is focused on launching the all-new, all-new electric Dodge Charger Daytona models, as well as the Dodge Charger SIXPACK ICE-option models coming next year. We have nothing additional to share in regard to potential future products.”
While this response neither confirms nor denies the report, it does indicate that the brand is confident about its long-term plans and also appears to confirm that the Charger will not get a V8 for the immediate future. Buyers looking to get a V8-powered Charger (or Challenger for that matter) are encouraged to head to their local Dodge dealership. Many of these franchises are still sitting on a massive inventory pool of previous-generation Charger and Challenger models and will be more than happy to give you a good deal on one to help clear their bloated inventory.
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