Mike Manley, CEO of Fiat Chrysler, has confirmed the next generation Dodge Challenger will have a hybrid powertrain when it appears some time in the 2020s.
By extension this means the Dodge Charger will also feature hybrid powertrains.
“I think that electrification will certainly be part of the formula that says what is American muscle in the future,” Manley told The Detroit News. “What it isn’t going to be is a V8, supercharged, 700-horsepower engine.”
“The reality is those platforms and that technology we used does need to move on. They can’t exist as you get into the middle-2020s,” he said.
Manley said the new Challenger (and Charger too) will be lighter, and use electrification to help improve performance.
Analysts predict a hybrid twin-turbo version of the Pentastar V6 could replace the Hemi V8.
The current Challenger and Charger use the 13 year old LX platform, which itself is based on a platform originally designed for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It’s not known when the next generation Challenger and Charger replacements are due, with several planned replacements already falling by the wayside.
Source: The Detroit News
