Dodge's V6-powered Challenger gets ready for winter with all-wheel drive

By Ronan Glon Published December 7, 2016

Dodge’s heritage-laced Challenger muscle car is finally getting all-wheel drive for the 2017 model year.

The all-wheel drive model is named Challenger GT, and it’s exclusively available with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that delivers 305 horsepower at 6,350 rpm and 268 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. The six-cylinder is bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission that can be left in drive or shifted manually with steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Recommended Videos

The GT’s all-wheel drive system is closely related to the one that’s optionally available on the Charger. 100 percent of the V6’s power is sent to the rear wheels in everyday driving conditions, a setup that saves fuel and retains the coupe’s sporty, rear-biased handling. The front axle is only engaged when sensors detect that the rear wheels are slipping. Fuel economy checks in at 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

As of this writing, Dodge isn’t planning on offering the V8-powered Challenger with all-wheel drive; muscle car enthusiasts who want to tackle blizzards will need to settle for six cylinders under the hood. Performance specifications aren’t available yet.

The list of standard features includes leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, parking sensors on both ends, a six-speaker sound system, and aluminum trim in the cabin. Outside, the GT receives 19-inch alloy wheels with a black finish, fog lights, and a trunk-mounted spoiler. Discreet GT emblems on the fenders are the only way to tell the all-wheel drive model apart from its rear-wheel drive siblings.

The new GT interior package spruces up the interior. Priced at $995, it adds performance seats upholstered in an elegant combination of leather and Alcantara, a nine-speaker Alpine audio system, and a performance steering wheel.

The 2017 Dodge Challenger GT will go on sale shortly with a base price of $33,395 before a mandatory $1,095 destination charge is factored in. Production will kick off in January, and deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2017.

Topics

Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Costco, Electrify America add EV-charging stations in three states

costco electrify america add 50 ev charging stations in three states ea chargers 1280

Costco, which had abandoned offering EV charging 12 years ago, is getting serious about resuming the service.

Over a month ago, the big-box retailer once again put its brand name on a DC fast-charging station in Ridgefield, Washington, that was made by Electric Era .

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.