New Dodge Charger combines power and looks

The age of the muscle car is well and truly over. What we have today are modern reincarnations with a lot of features and gadgetry that make it an alternative option to regular family sedans. In other words, the target audience isn't really your average college-going kid with a part-time job; instead it is people in their mid-twenties who have pockets that aren't really shallow.

The Dodge Charger that was brought back to life in the recent past looks like nothing you've ever seen. It has a truly aggressive stance, a macho look and appears to have everything we want in a Muscle car - except that it has two extra doors.

To some petrolheads, it is the perfect combination - a car that offers the power and panache of the customised Charger from the late 70s TV series Dukes of Hazard with the practicality of a family sedan. But to me, the move has kind of shifted the focus of the car - quite like what happened when Shania Twain started catering to international pop music in addition to country music (which was her forte). By playing to a wider audience, she lost touch with her core fans.

That said, the 2011 Charger has a nice feel to it and in many ways is a lot better than the model it replaces. For starters, it has a whole new look when viewed from the front and from the rear - a welcome change. The new Dodge logo however, is now a miniature version of the front grille design instead of the earlier ‘Ram' which was much better. But then a new identity is part of change for any corporation and this probably signifies Fiat's control over the Chrysler group.

The rest of the exterior looks pretty much the same. The big chrome wheels add an element of bling that was missing from the earlier model. The test car came in Orange, which suits the Charger best. Black follows a distant second. 

New layout

The interiors, although quite similar to the earlier Charger in terms of feel, are quite different in the way they look. The driver's console has a whole new layout and a large Multimedia interface that Dodge calls ‘uConnect'. It stands out and in a sense diverts one's attention away from the rather average design of the dashboard. As for build quality, it is not very different from that of the earlier models.

The leather seats are nice and comfy, but not as good as the ones that came with the ‘Performance' version of the previous model Legroom is the other aspect that the Charger scores big points on - it offers the spaciousness of a large premium sedan at a third of its price.

The Alpine audio system sounds very good, and the navigation system is easy to use. Climate control is accessible from both the uConnect system as well as the manual switches on the dash. The two cup holders in the front have independent heating and cooling options - a nice touch. The driver could keep a cup of coffee warm while the front passenger could keep a can of cola cold at the same time. 

Performance matters

There are plenty of practical features but the car is a lot more about performance, rather than design, build quality and accessories.

It boasts 370bhp and the5.7 litre V8 engine delivers 536Nmof torque. Although the R/T version still comes with the same V8 engine as the previous model, the newV6 Charger is now powered by a 3.6 litre ‘Pentastar' power plant which is quite a significant upgrade.

Like most American Muscle Cars, the Charger R/T's large V8 Hemi engine produces enough torque and this is what contributes to its0 to 100km/h sprint time of a shade more than 5 seconds.

The R/T model available here comes with a rear-wheel drive system only, which suits this car a lot more than the all-wheel-drive model that is available internationally.

Driving the Charger was a pleasant experience and on normal roads it felt no different from driving a nice sound-insulated premium sedan.

Four out of the eight cylinders switch off automatically when cruising to optimise fuel efficiency. In performance mode - when I floored the accelerator - the Charger's true nature sprung to life. There is an improvement in the steering and suspension and together they offer a lot more control and balance than I had experienced in the previous model. Tackling curves with the right amount of oversteer is what makes the Charger fun to drive. Its stability programme isn't as restrictive as most European Sports Cars that are based on a precise amount of ‘fun factor' that the driver is allowed.

The stability control on the Charger can be turned off with a single touch of a button on the dash and once you do, it turns into a raging bull - something muscle cars of the past used to feel before the advent of electronic intervention. 

Verdict

The Charger feels great to drive, but its 5-speed auto transmission could have been improved to offer better agility and response.

At a price of around Dh150,000 it justifies the lack of a premium interior finish, but offers a lot of value for those looking for a spacious interior combined with a bit of aggression and muscle car performance. 

Inside info

Engine: 5.7 litre V8 engine
Max power: 370bhp
Max output: 536Nm of torque

Philip Shane is a Dubai-based motoring freelancer