The reborn Dodge Charger has stormed the 2026 awards season, taking home the coveted 2026 North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) title on the strength of its bold multi‑energy lineup and unmistakable muscle‑car attitude. The win, announced at the Detroit Auto Show, cements Dodge’s latest Charger as a benchmark for performance, design and innovation in a rapidly changing market.
NACTOY Win Signals New Muscle Era
The all‑new Charger lineup, which spans both high‑output gasoline and all‑electric powertrains, was selected by an independent jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada for the 2026 NACTOY Car of the Year award. Jurors evaluated the cars on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, user experience and value, before ultimately handing the crown to Dodge’s latest iteration of its performance icon.
NACTOY president Jeff Gilbert described the Charger as a “thoroughly modern sports car” that manages to look forward while honoring its deep heritage, praising the brand for offering both electric and classic gasoline‑powered muscle in one cohesive lineup. The award joins recent Car of the Year accolades for the Charger from outlets including TopGear.com, the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News, building a strong consensus around Dodge’s new performance flagship.
Dodge Charger Multi-Energy Lineup: Gasoline And Electric Firepower
At the heart of the Charger’s appeal is a multi‑energy lineup designed to give buyers what Dodge calls the “power of choice”, whether they favor internal combustion or battery‑electric performance. The family includes the 550‑horsepower 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack, powered by a 3.0‑liter twin‑turbo SIXPACK high‑output engine, and the all‑electric 670‑horsepower Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, billed as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car.
The SIXPACK‑powered Charger Scat Pack sprints from 0‑60 mph in just 3.9 seconds and delivers what Dodge says is the most horsepower in the industry for under 55,000 dollars, with a starting MSRP of 54,995 dollars. The electric Charger Daytona Scat Pack ups the ante with 670 horsepower and a 0‑60 mph time of 3.3 seconds, underscoring Dodge’s intent to carry its muscle‑car legacy into the EV era rather than abandon it.
Design: Heritage Cues With Modern Utility
Dodge leans heavily into heritage‑inspired styling, giving the new Charger a pure muscle‑car exterior and the widest body of any car in the industry. Yet beneath the retro‑inflected sheet metal, the brand has built in real‑world usability, including a “hidden hatch” design that delivers best‑in‑class rear cargo volume and best‑in‑class passenger space.
Every Charger in the lineup comes standard with all‑wheel drive and is available in both two‑door coupe and four‑door sedan configurations, reflecting Dodge’s belief that muscle “should never be one size fits all.” That flexibility is central to the car’s mission: to serve as a daily‑drivable performance machine that can handle family duty as readily as drag‑strip runs.
Tech And Performance Features
Inside, the new Dodge Charger features an all‑new driver‑focused cabin anchored by a 12.3‑inch Uconnect 5 infotainment system with wireless audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The interface is designed to keep performance‑minded drivers engaged while integrating the connectivity and convenience features expected in a modern premium car.
A full suite of performance‑oriented Drive Modes, including Sport and Custom modes, come standard, along with features such as Launch Control to help drivers extract maximum performance from both the SIXPACK and Daytona variants. Advanced safety and driver‑assistance systems are also standard, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, Active Lane Management, Active Driving Assist and adaptive cruise control with stop‑and‑go capability.
Dodge Brand Momentum
For Dodge, the Charger’s NACTOY win represents both validation and momentum as the brand navigates the shift to electrification while preserving its performance DNA. Dodge CEO Matt McAlear called the award a testament to the company’s willingness to “break pattern and redefine segments,” arguing that the Charger lineup confirms the brand’s vision for the future of muscle.
The Charger joins a broader Dodge portfolio that includes the 710‑horsepower Durango SRT Hellcat, described as the fastest American gas‑powered SUV, and the new Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak, which unlocks millions of potential customization combinations for three‑row performance‑SUV buyers. At the other end of the lineup, the 360‑horsepower 5.7‑liter Durango GT HEMI AWD continues as the most affordable all‑wheel‑drive V‑8 in the industry, signaling that Dodge intends to keep accessible muscle in the mix even as it pushes into high‑tech territory.