Sep 17, 2019, 10:22 AM by Mike Blake

Fifty years ago, Dodge entered the American “Muscle Car” Wars with the 1970 Challenger, debuting in fall 1969 with a Chrysler “E-body” short-deck, long-hood platform it shared with the Plymouth Barracuda. In those days, 425 horses muscled up Challenger from a 426 c.i. HEMI; and some trims only got you 145hp from a 225 6-cylinder option. Challenger ceased production in 1974 and returned as a retro-luxury-muscle car in 2008. Following a re-design in 2015 that built on the 1970s architecture, Challenger has added a few cosmetic, trim and wheel options each year, and introduced a 707-hp Hellcat in 2017. New for 2019, if 707 hp wasn’t enough, Challenger sets the bar even higher with a new 797-hp SRT Hellcat Redeye model, and other Hellcat models get a 10-hp increase to 717 horses.

Also for 2019, Challenger’s SXT and GT models are available in both RWD and AWD; the GT trim gains a performance hood and front splitter; R/T Scat Pack models come with a new standard power-bulge aluminum hood; Hellcat models now come with a new dual snorkel hood; in R/T models, the rear seats can be deleted at the cost of $1 and have a net weight savings of 55 lb; some cosmetic, wheel, tires and performance items have been added as options and the SRT 392 and limited-edition SRT Demon have been eliminated.

Assembled in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, Challenger comes at you with a 1971-style split grille, projector headlamps with halo light-emitting diode surrounds and LED tail lamps. In the rear are a body-colored rear spoiler and dual-chromed exhaust tips integrated into the lower rear fascia. My test Challenger R/T measured an aerodynamic 197.9 inches in length, 75.7 inches in width and 57.5 inches in height on a 116.2-inch wheelbase, providing running ground clearance of 5.2 inches. My R/T trim weighed in with a curbweight of 4177 lbs. – some Challenger models hit 4500 lbs. 

Challenger power is unparalleled, available with five engine choices and either manual or automatic transmissions. The muscle champion is a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI Hellcat High Output V-8 that thunders out 797hp and 707 lb-ft of torque -- EPA-rated at 13mpg in the city and 22mpg on the highway. The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI Hellcat V-8 muscles-up with 717 hp and 656 lb-ft torque, EPA rated at 13mpg/city and 21mpg/highway. The 392 c.i. (6.4 -liter) HEMI V-8 charges out 485hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, EPA rated at 15/city and 25/highway. The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 and its 372 horses and 400 lb.-ft. of torque that powered my test Challenger R/T,  is EPA-rated at 16/city and 25/highway; and a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is also offered, delivering 305 hp / 268 lbs.-ft., rated at 19/city, 30/highway (RWD). 

My Challenger R/T test ride was muscle car quick, both on the highway and on the track. I blazed down the dragstrip in a 5.9-second (hand-timed) zero-to-60-mph dash, and a 14.3-second quarter-mile. For comparison, the top-power, Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye with its 797-hp power plant has been factory tested in a 3-second 0-60mph sprint and a quarter-mile elapsed time of 10.8 seconds.

But my Challenger R/T and its 372-hp 5.7-liter HEMI engine mated to a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission will generate more sales, so I tested it that way and was more than satisfied with its performance. While there is slight hesitation when pedal stomping at speed to pass or overtake a hill on the interstate, it is undeniably powerful and attacks the highway confidently while being smooth and a head-turner around town. 

Gentle for passengers, Challenger’s independent SLA double-wishbone front and five-link independent rear suspension smooth out most irregularities and while there is some float at high speed reminiscent of 1970s road feel, and the steering shows some rear sway in quick turns at speed, the available SRT-tuned suspensions in Sport Mode gives a track-worthy feel.

Inside the 2019 Dodge Challenger is a performance-focused cockpit, featuring refined materials, execution and technology, also inspired by the interior of the 1971 Challenger. The cabin seats five and accommodates with 39.3 inches of front headroom and 37.1 inches in row two; leg room of 42.0 inches in front and 33.1 inches in the rear, and shoulder room of 58.5 and 53.9. 

Challengers run the gamut from a $28,095 base for the SXT trim, to $77,945 for the 797-hpSRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody. While little is more exhilarating to a car guy than a street-legal 797-hp iconic muscle car, I tested the third-trim up in the line, the R/T, as that is the model more purchasers will buy. In RWD configuration the base was $34,545.

In ToRed exterior paint, my test ride eschewed many decal cosmetics that would have been really cool at little or no cost, and it came outfitted with cloth seats, though I would have liked leather available in packages that would have added $5000 or more, so we went cloth and lean. A sunroof would have added $1295, but that was also left off so we went for entertainment and added an Alpine Audio Group with subwoofer for $995 and a UConnect 4C navi system with 8.4-inch display screen for $1095. The Driver Convenience Group added Blind Spot and Rear Cross Path Detection, High Intensity Discharge Headlamps, power multi-function mirrors with manual fold-away Rhombi Illuminated Air Catcher headlamp for $1295. 

My ride had the fun-to-drive 6-speed manual transmission (an automatic 8-speed trans would have added $1595), so we saved money there, and Destination charges of $1495 put my 2019 Challenger R/T at $39,045.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>