The HEMI V8 might be gone, but Dodge isn’t backing down from the muscle car fight. The 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack showed up to MotorWeek’s track test at Roebling Road Raceway and dominated the evaluation. It earned MotorWeek’s 2026 Drivers’ Choice Best of the Year award, a prize no Dodge has won since the program started giving out that honor in 1998.

• The Scat Pack runs a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six making 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque.
• MotorWeek’s test averaged a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 12.2 seconds at 116 mph.
• The Scat Pack starts at $56,990, while the R/T opens the lineup at $51,990.

A Twin-Turbo Inline-Six That Hits Like a Hellcat

Dodge’s “SIXPACK” name is a throwback. Unlike the old days where a “sixpack” referred to the number of barrels in the carburetors, this simply refers to the cylinder count. Under the hood sits Stellantis’s Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six, tuned and modified for the Charger. Dodge gave the Charger’s inline-six a new intake system for better airflow, a valved exhaust setup with quiet and loud modes, an upgraded cooling system, and larger turbochargers.

The results speak for themselves. The Scat Pack puts out 550 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque, which actually surpasses the previous-generation V8-powered Scat Pack by 65 hp and 56 lb-ft. Its low-end power provides 88% of peak torque at just 2,500 RPM, spooling twin Garrett turbos toward a peak of 30 PSI of boost. If you’re worried about losing the old V8’s grunt, this engine fills that gap and then some.

MotorWeek’s Track Results Tell the Story

MotorWeek put the Sixpack through a full-on beating at Roebling Road Raceway in Georgia. The Sixpack was described as a powder keg off the line, launching similar to prior-gen Hellcats per MotorWeek’s test drivers, with air temps in the upper 40s Fahrenheit. With all-wheel-drive grip from an optional square set of 305 tires, it ripped through the first two gears of its eight-speed automatic.

The braking performance might be even more impressive than the straight-line speed. Brembo six-piston front calipers clamp onto large 380-millimeter discs, and these brakes showed no sign of fade all day, a surprising result given the Sixpack’s 4,800-pound curb weight.

Through the corners, the car showed its personality. There is some body roll mid-corner, with the suspension giving the sensation of sitting more on than in the car, but apexes come easy thanks to nice steering feel. MotorWeek’s drivers spent most hot laps in rear-wheel-drive mode, which is great for track days and throttle-induced oversteer.

AWD Standard, RWD on Demand

One of the biggest shifts for this generation of Charger is standard all-wheel drive. The car comes with a front-axle disconnect system that sends 100% of the power out back, and all you need to do is tick Sport Mode and press the button for RWD. Line Lock is a standard feature on the Sixpack model, so yes, burnouts are still very much on the menu.

This new Charger Sixpack is a large vehicle, over 200 inches long on a 121-inch wheelbase and about 80 inches wide. The Sixpack weighs just over 4,800 pounds, spread out with a 55-front, 45-rear weight bias. It’s a big car, no question. But that AWD system gives it year-round usability that the old rear-drive-only Charger never had.

What You’ll Pay and What’s Coming Next

The Sixpack arrives first in Scat Pack form with a $56,990 base price including destination, while the less powerful R/T model costs $51,990, and four-door versions add $2,000. The battery-electric Daytona starts at $61,990.

For 2026, you can’t get a Charger for less than $50,000 once mandatory fees are included, a clear departure from the previous generation’s wide variety of price ranges. That’s worth considering if you’re shopping on a tighter budget. But for raw power per dollar, the Scat Pack is tough to argue with.

Built on the STLA-Large platform, the Charger can run both battery-electric and internal-combustion powertrains. MotorWeek’s team even speculated that the HEMI V8 will eventually make a comeback. For now, though, the Sixpack is carrying the gas-powered torch with a twin-turbo six that’s quicker and more powerful than the V8 it replaced.

Is the Sixpack the Real Deal?

The 2026 Dodge Charger’s new Sixpack engine secured the Charger’s nod as “Best of the Year” in MotorWeek’s 2026 Drivers’ Choice Awards. Since the Sixpack-powered models debuted, the Charger has collected awards including 2026 North American Car of the Year and Car of the Year honors from TopGear.com, the Detroit Free Press, and The Detroit News. That’s a serious collection of trophies for a car some people assumed would stumble without its V8.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack Scat Pack isn’t cheap, and it’s a heavy machine. But it stops like a race car, hits 60 in under four seconds, and can switch between AWD grip and RWD fun with a button press. If you’ve been waiting for Dodge to bring combustion back to the Charger, this is the car that answers the call.