A MUSCLE CAR MADE FOR COOLER CLIMES
Challenger now has something the Camaro and Mustang don’t — four-wheel traction
In the muscle car world, it’s far too easy to dismiss anything with less than a V8. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m guilty of this — every time I ogle a Dodge Challenger, a Chevrolet Camaro or a Ford Mustang and notice it isn’t at least an SS, a GT or an R/T, I feel let down. Heartbroken. Devastated. Especially if that V6 is hooked up to an automatic transmission. It’s “rental-spec,” as enthusiasts and/or kids these days call it.
Oh, sure, the V6 Challenger now has something the Camaro and Mustang don’t — four-wheel traction. Muscle car fans in cooler climes, rejoice! You no longer have to put away your American but-actually-Canadian toy! The Challenger GT ensures your inner hooligan is satisfied 365 days of the year, with the added safety net of all-wheel-drive. Sounds like a win, right?
Well, on first blush, it’s as though the Dodge Challenger GT is sandbagged right out of the gate. Pop the hood and you’ll probably notice something missing. That’s because the Challenger GT can be had one way, and one way only — with Fiat Chrysler’s ubiquitous 3.6L Pentastar V6, pumping out 305 horsepower and 268 lb.-ft. of torque. Moreover, the only transmission you can spec is the eight-speed automatic. If you want muscle car thrills, this isn’t the Challenger you want. The SRT 392 is still king of that castle.
Despite the engine and transmission combination not being the most desirable, there is method to Fiat Chrysler’s madness. It’s a numbers game — U.S. customers have almost always opted for the V6 over the V8. The Hellcat twins might’ve swayed more customers towards the Hemi in recent years, but the V6 is simply the volume seller. Ergo, AWD widens the Challenger’s appeal. Again, these are U.S. stats, but according to FCA, the Challenger is most often crossshopped with the Dodge Charger sedan, of all cars, which can already send its kick to all four corners. So, in more ways than one, an AWD Challenger is a bit of a no-brainer.
In the grand scheme of things, the Challenger GT is hardly underpowered by any means and the Pentastar V6 means fuel economy is rather reasonable — it’s rated at 12.8L/100 kilometres in the city and 8.7 on the highway. Our particular Challenger GT was a pre-production American-spec car; by the time we’d parked at the end of the day, the trip computer settled at exactly 20.0 MPG and that included a fair share of spirited driving.
Perhaps that’s the most surprising bit about the Challenger GT — not the fuel economy, but the fact that it doesn’t object to spirited driving. Despite the lack of a V8 and manual transmission, it’s more fun than you’d expect. You’ll feel the weight for sure — the AWD system adds just under 200 pounds to an already porky car — but the standard paddleshifters spice things up and the three-mode stability control can be switched off completely.
The AWD system is rear-biased, sending kick to the rear axle by default. When the situation calls for it — depending on a number of variables, including temperature, wheel spin and throttle position — the front axle engages fairly seamlessly. The GT also includes some beefed-up suspension bits, most notably a set of heavy duty shocks from the all-wheel-drive Charger police car.
When you’re not pushing the GT, it’s mostly well-sorted. The ride is comfortable and quiet, but it can get a little jittery over rough pavement. Despite the size, it’s fairly easy to manoeuvre — yes, visibility isn’t its strong suit and blind-spots are a problem, but the backup camera, optional rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitor ease the pain. In short: When you aren’t going nuts and you’re on dry pavement, the GT drives a lot like a regular V6 Challenger.
Step inside and the Challenger GT’s cabin is familiar. In this case, that familiarity doesn’t breed contempt — materials are quite good and there are a few bits unique to the GT that aren’t found on other V6 Challengers, including a standard heated steering wheel and optional Nappa leather seats with Alcantara inserts. The seats themselves are worth it alone, complete with beefier, Challenger SRT-style bolsters. Thanks to its buxom proportions outside, the Challenger GT’s comfortable — without the sunroof, there’s ample headroom and the back seat, while slightly difficult to get into, is actually fairly spacious. No surprises there.
The GT also gets FCA’s revised Uconnect 8.4 infotainment system; it functions much the same as the previous system, but now includes crisper graphics, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and it’s more responsive all-around. FCA still insists on awkwardly burying the heated seat controls in menus rather than physical buttons on the centre stack; that aside, Uconnect still remains one of the easiest infotainment systems out there.
All things considered, the Challenger GT isn’t necessarily the top choice for performance and speed junkies. That said, the new-found traction at all four corners means it has a trick up its sleeve. The GT is respectably quick, roomy and looks badass in the right colour, plus the all-wheel-drive systems lends another dimension of fourseason safety and usability. Just don’t count on old-school muscle car thrills or the gruff snarl of eight cylinders.