Is the New Dodge Charger a Sales Flop? CEO States, 'It's Too Soon to Determine'

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      If you haven't been to a Dodge dealership recently, a visit in 2026 might be quite revealing. The showrooms that once featured powerful V8 sedans and coupes are now largely filled with the company’s three-row SUV that's been around for 15 years. Currently, the Durango accounts for over 89% of Dodge's sales. Since the Charger and the Artist form, formerly known as the Challenger, consolidated into a single model, both have been stagnating. Just a few years ago, these heavyweights were the top sellers for Dodge. In the first quarter, the gas-powered Charger was actually outsold by the Mazda Miata.

      This situation didn't arise out of nowhere. Stellantis was one of the last manufacturers to commit to electrifying its U.S. lineup after the Inflation Reduction Act was enacted in 2022, making it among the final companies (along with Toyota) to launch their initial EVs. This rollout coincided with the first major redesign of Dodge’s sedan and coupe, which had been in the market since the 2006 and 2008 model years; their 2011 updates certainly improved their dreary interiors and introduced some essential hardware upgrades. Nonetheless, neither model underwent a thorough redesign.

      The outcome? Dodge needed to catch up over 15 years while also integrating an electric powertrain. Then the 2024 election took place, causing everything to be thrown into disarray again, and the former Stellantis CEO left—figuratively speaking, of course. This left Dodge in a tough position, with its EVs already beginning to roll off the assembly line.

      Fortunately, the company had designed the new Charger platform to support both electric and internal-combustion engines, and the new Hurricane inline-six engine was planned for the platform from the start. However, this wasn't achieved overnight, leading to a casual look at the sales figures (above) that might suggest customers have completely forgotten about the Charger.

      When asked about this, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear stated that it’s premature to evaluate the Charger’s sales numbers.

      “I’m still excited. I’m still optimistic about this car,” he shared with The Drive in an interview. “I believe it offers something unexpected in the industry and revitalizes some dwindling car segments.”

      Many fans attribute the declining interest in the redesigned Charger and Challenger to the absence of a Hemi engine and a manual transmission. While both factors may impact purchases among enthusiasts, the six-cylinder versions of both models accounted for the majority of sales during a significant portion of their lifecycles; the Hemi only became the preferred engine for Challenger buyers towards the end of its production. Sales of the Charger were mainly led by V6 models throughout its timeline—and those older Pentastars cannot compete with the Hurricane I6.

      “We have Scat Packs, we’ve got RTs,” McAlear pointed out. “This is just year one. If we had said we would launch this much in the first generation car within one year, you would have laughed. So the future looks very promising.”

      Additionally, McAlear has been vocal about the fact that more offerings are in the pipeline.

      “I think it's crucial to provide customers with choices,” he emphasized. “I believe powertrains will continue to evolve. If you analyze what we accomplished in the last generation with the 3.5 moving to the 3.6, the introduction of 6.1, then to 6.4, as well as the 5.7 and the supercharged 6.2, including the 6.2 red eye supercharged. We're not stagnant. We've launched a range of models with horsepower ratings from 670 to 420, available in two-door and four-door, all-wheel drive, and rear-wheel drive configurations.”

      “I should point out that we don’t have all models available at all of our dealerships yet.”

      “We began rolling out the two-door high-horsepower Scat Pack in January. Those are being shipped now and we have a sufficient supply of those, but we lack a sufficient quantity of the 420-horsepower RT two-door and four-door models. They’ve only just started shipping in the last 15 to 20 days and are still arriving at dealerships. As summer progresses, we’ll see our capabilities.”

      McAlear has nearly guaranteed that V8 models will be introduced; enthusiasts will need to be patient for now. Dodge must ensure it can secure enough units before it can promise any additional Hemi models for sale.

      “Every manufacturer is always looking to improve,” he told us. “And believe me, we have a lengthy list of areas we plan to work on and continue evolving the Charger.”

      “And trust me,” he added, “you don’t get it perfect the first time.”

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