2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Road Test and Review

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Dodge muscle cars built their reputation on old-school style, big rumbling engines, and ferocious speed. So when Dodge built its first electric car, it replicated that formula of retro looks and loud acceleration. 

So far, it hasn’t gone well.

Trouble began when Dodge announced it would replace the popular gas-powered Charger sedan and Challenger coupe with the all-electric Charger Daytona. Then it ended production of the old Charger and Challenger before the Charger Daytona was ready. When the Charger Daytona finally entered production as a 2024 model, it was sold only as a coupe. 

But things are turning a corner for Dodge. The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona now has its sedan variant. And a six-cylinder gasoline engine is about to go on sale (called Charger Sixpack, versus the electric Charger Daytona). This means the EV gets more mainstream appeal at the same time that it no longer has such enormous shoes to fill on its own. 

Now, once the Sixpack becomes responsible for major sales volume, the 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona can embrace its proper role as a niche model. Forget the sleek, quiet speed of a typical high-end EV. This is a boisterous, loud machine – an all-American muscle car, but with the instant torque and energy efficiency of an EV. 

For this review, we tested the new Charger Daytona sedan at a media event. We’re looking forward to more time behind the wheel of this unique Dodge. But in the meantime, let’s go through the pros and cons we found. 

Choice of Body Styles, One Flavor of Speed

When the Charger Daytona was still trying to cover a wider range of customers, Dodge sold it in a choice of speeds: the 496-horsepower R/T and 670-horsepower Scat Pack. This year, you can choose between coupe and sedan body styles, but everybody gets upgraded to the Scat Pack – and for less money than before.  

Prices now start at $59,995 for the coupe and $61,995 for the sedan. That’s a bit higher than the R/T coupe’s sticker price last year. However, the Scat Pack coupe started at $64,995 last year. (The new gas-powered Sixpack will start at around $50,000 for the 420-hp R/T and $55,000 for the 550-hp Scat Pack.)

So the Charger Daytona isn’t a cheap ride. And the sedan we drove swelled to $80,455 with a mix of luxury and performance features, plus the mandatory $1,995 destination charge. However, we’ll note that the Charger Daytona has been selling well below sticker price lately – if the rest of the car holds your interest, see how much your dealership will budge on the price tag. And while it’s not for everyone, it certainly holds our interest. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona coupe and sedan ・ Photo by Dodge

Long, Low Classic Looks

You can’t get many big cars anymore, and the Charger Daytona embraces its size. It’s 207 inches long and 80 inches wide, which is several inches longer and wider than a Dodge Durango three-row SUV. But the Durango is 72 inches tall, versus just 59 inches on the Charger Daytona. This is a long, low car. And its long, low hood speaks to its performance focus in a world dominated by tall, stubby, space-efficient crossovers. 

The Charger Daytona further embraces its old-school heritage with 1970-style front and rear ends. An LED lightbar subs for the 1970 Charger’s chrome bar spanning the dark rectangular front fascia. 

We do miss the visual distinction between the old Charger sedan and Challenger coupe. With the Charger coupe and sedan sharing the same front and rear ends, and even the same silhouette, we see little reason to get the two-door model anymore. That’s a pity, since the Challenger proved that there’s still demand for a big, fast, cool-looking coupe. We think Dodge would have been wise to invest in some styling differences. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Modern Electric Speed

As we mentioned, the 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona makes up to 670 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. That’s when you push the PowerShot button to provide a temporary 10-second boost from 630 hp. It’s how you unlock the car’s promised 3.3-second sprint to 60 mph. As Dodge notes, that’s in line with the old supercharged V8 Hellcat Redeye model. 

And this EV makes some noise. The Charger Daytona includes what Dodge calls Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, which is a fancy way of saying synthetically generated engine sounds. The Charger Daytona rumbles and ticks at idle, and it roars when you accelerate or rev the engine – we mean, press on the electric car’s go pedal. To some tastes, it’s silly to pretend that an EV makes sounds like this. To others, it not only maintains a Dodge muscle car’s signature feel, but it also provides useful driver feedback about how fast you’re going. When you floor the gas pedal – er, the accelerator – in a Charger Daytona, you won’t be scooting forward in silence. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Modern Handling, Too

We’re used to electric cars that can go really fast. The Tesla Model S has reached 60 mph quicker than the Charger Daytona for more than a decade. And for five years, the Model S Plaid has squeezed past the 2-second mark.

But Dodge has years of experience building cars for the track. It knows that fast cars shouldn’t just go, but also stop and change direction. And the Charger Daytona excels at those, too. It comes standard with a sport-tuned suspension and high-end Brembo brakes. And our test vehicle’s optional Track Package ($4,495) upgrades both of these. 

The Charger Daytona has a low center of gravity. That’s thanks to both its low, wide proportions and the weight of its battery under the floor. It also has responsive steering and capable handling. This is a big, heavy car that changes direction and scrubs off speed easily. And all-wheel drive comes standard to ensure traction in all weather. 

You can also select driving modes that enable drifting and donuts, though not a smokey burnout. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Range Limits

It’s nothing unusual for mightily powerful muscle cars to need frequent refueling. But at least with a gasoline-powered car, it just takes a couple minutes at a gas station. When you reach the end of the Charger Daytona’s range, it takes at least 24 minutes on a DC fast-charging station to get from 20 percent to 80 percent. That sounds quick enough until you consider that it goes just 241 miles on a full charge in EPA testing – and 223 miles with the tested Track Package. Most EVs get you a lot more range in that amount of time. 

The good news is that if you can primarily recharge at home, you can always leave home with a full charge. And it’s much cheaper to charge up at home than to fill up a tank of gas. The Charger Daytona gets the energy equivalent of 72 to 78 mpg – versus 15 mpg in the old Hellcat model (and probably about 20 mpg in the 2026 Sixpack Scat Pack). Depending on your home electricity rate, that difference can save you thousands of dollars every year in fuel costs. A Tesla is even more economical, though. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Spacious Yet Cozy Cabin

The Charger Daytona is a big car. And that means it has plenty of space inside, both in the front and the back. Even the coupe has a big backseat once you clamber back there. But it’s also cozy. You’re enveloped in low, supportive sport seats, and the dashboard and high center console wrap around you as well. This is a big car that’s all about a sporty feel. 

Now, it doesn’t feel like a $60,000-plus luxury car or a cutting-edge EV. It has a big reconfigurable 16-inch digital gauge cluster, plus a decent-sized 12.3-inch central touchscreen. But many of the graphics are plain. And while it has more physical controls than many EVs, some other functions leave you tapping at different screen menus. And while the cabin has some interesting textures and some nice materials, the overall effect isn’t luxury-grade decadent. That can be fine for someone who prefers a sporty flavor over a posh high-end cabin, but others will want something that feels higher-end – especially once you’ve added as many options as on our $80,000-plus test vehicle. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Hidden Practicality

The previous-generation Dodge Charger sedan and the Dodge Challenger coupe had big trunks for sedans. But the new generation has a secret weapon to boost its practicality. Dodge calls it the “hidden hatch.” 

Here’s what that means: Although the Charger Daytona has the silhouette of a traditional sedan and coupe, the trunk connects to the rear windshield. They lift together in a single piece like a hatchback. This frees up more trunk space. Plus, you can fold down the rear seats to create a single open cargo hold. 

Dodge quotes 23 cubic feet behind the rear seat versus 16 cubic feet for the old Charger sedan. You must stack cargo to the ceiling to get all that extra volume, and the “hidden hatch” shape doesn't fit tall luggage like an SUV. But if you fold down the rear seat, you can fit the bulky stuff that no sedan could handle. The Charger Daytona also has a 1.5-cubic-foot front trunk (“frunk”) – a little storage compartment that lives under its big long hood. It’s enough to hide a purse and camera bag, or to keep a couple other small items from rolling around the big cargo hold. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Charger Daytona Competitors

As we mentioned, the Dodge Charger Daytona isn’t the only fast EV – or even the fastest. But no competitor is quite like it.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N crossover is another track-ready EV with a raw, playful character at a similar price to the Charger Daytona Scat Pack. Hyundai is preparing to launch a sedan version, too, the Ioniq 6 N. They’re both smaller than the Dodge and look nothing like it – especially the curvy Ioniq 6. 

The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT crossover is another retro muscle car. It's a little gentler than the Charger Daytona, and it’s also roomier without looking like a traditional SUV. But as a smaller vehicle, it doesn’t have the Dodge’s hulking presence. 

The Tesla Model 3 Performance and the larger Tesla Model S are other rivals. They don’t look special compared with streets filled with Teslas, but they’re undeniably fast – especially if you get the Model S Plaid. And they go much farther on a charge than the Dodge. The Model 3 is much smaller than the Charger Daytona, though, and the Model S costs a lot more. 

Luxury models like the Audi S6 e-tron liftback, BMW i5 M60 sedan, and Cadillac Lyriq V crossover also have higher starting prices than the Charger Daytona – about the same as our heavily optioned test vehicle at around $80,000.

A final wrinkle is how little the sticker price might relate to the purchase price for one of these Dodges. Many EVs have been heavily discounted, and Charger Daytona buyers have enjoyed even better deals than most. You might find you can get this big monster for the price of a smaller, slower electric vehicle. Plus, if you want the coupe, you can still find even better deals on last year’s model – including on the now-discontinued R/T model with slightly less performance but longer range and a lower sticker price. 

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT ・ Photo by Ford

Absurd Yet Compelling

On the one hand, the 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona is an absurd car. It’s the opposite of the quiet, futuristic EV. It’s loud and brash. Its range is lower than most EVs, especially with the Track Package. And it’s expensive. 

And yet, it’s fun. This is a performance machine that screams “let’s go fast!” rather than just whisking you smoothly around. To some, its synthetic engine rumbles are cringy. Others will welcome a muscle car that sounds like a muscle car – just a muscle car that doesn’t guzzle premium fuel or need an oil change. And its speed is more than a spec-sheet number, given its track-ready suspension and brakes. 

We’re glad for Dodge’s sake that the gas engine is finally about to hit the market. That means more people will get interested in the Charger’s roomy, practical interior; agile handling; and big retro body. But we hope they’ll also give a thought to the Daytona – especially if discounts continue. If you can charge it at home and don’t take many long road trips, it combines Hellcat speed and attitude with lower fuel costs than a Toyota Prius. 

2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt