2027 Dodge Charger Hellcat: Supercharged V8 muscle car’s return one step closer
The Dodge Charger Hellcat’s revival is inevitable, with reports from reputable publications claiming it’s set to happen in 2027.
A new-generation Dodge Charger Hellcat will launch in 2027, according to the latest reports from the US, with the supercharged V8 flagship usurping its current twin-turbo straight-six offerings.
As reported by Automotive News, Dodge is set to revive the Charger Hellcat as a 2028 model year vehicle, though it’ll launch in 2027, with suppliers claimed to have been told to expect to build 12,000 examples annually.
It’s the most concrete report yet that the Charger Hellcat nameplate will return, having last been used on the 2023 version of the sedan, as well as its related Challenger coupe counterpart.
Dodge launched its new-generation Charger – available as both a coupe and sedan – in 2024, offering a choice of electric power in the Daytona, while later adding the choice of two twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six ‘Sixpack’ engines in 2025.
The first hints of the 6.2-litre Hellcat’s return came when Dodge’s parent company Stellantis started to re-add the Hemi V8 engine to its vehicle lineup from early 2025, first in the Ram 1500, and later the Jeep Wrangler.
Tim Kuniskis, the head of Stellantis in North America, as well as the man leading the reborn SRT performance division, has previously said the Charger likely won’t get the 5.7-litre V8 found in the Ram 1500, instead only the Hellcat and Ram 1500 TRX’s supercharged 6.2-litre V8 would be considered.
“The only way it makes sense to charge for [an optional Hemi] now is I have to go all the way up to a Hellcat,” Kuniskis told Motortrend at the Detroit motor show.
“If you were to put a V8 in the car you would probably go to Hellcat (6.2-litre) instead of 5.7 (litre). The reality is when you get into that rare air, the take rate is pretty small.”
It’s worth noting that while the Ram 1500 underwent a significant mid-life update which saw the V8 removed before its later return, the Charger runs on a completely different platform, the STLA Large architecture which only supports the twin-turbo straight-six.
However, Stellantis has restarted production of the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 after bringing back the 1500 TRX pickup, which also resulted in increased inputs from 523kW and 882Nm to 579kW and 922Nm, as well as adding the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee SRT to its lineup.
It’s worth noting the previous generation Charger Hellcat made up to 594kW and 959Nm in its ultimate Redeye trim, much more than the ‘High Output’ twin-turbo six which 410kW and 720Nm in the Charger currently on sale.
Despite the links to the return of the supercharged V8 in the Charger, there’s no word on whether it would be rear-wheel drive like previous Hellcats, or adopt the all-wheel drive system of the current twin-turbo six-cylinder model.
The return of the V8 to the Charger may also be timely, as reports have claimed both Ford and Chevrolet will be launching V8-powered sedans – based on the Mustang and Camaro – in the near future.
Jordan Mulach
