The Dodge Charger debuted 60 years ago as one of the original muscle cars. A few years into its tenure, the first of several modified versions called the Dodge Charger Daytona arrived on the NASCAR circuit.

With reverence to the Daytona 500, the series’ premier event in Daytona Beach, Fla., Dodge sought racing dominance. The Charger Daytona became the first NASCAR vehicle to reach 200 miles per hour. With its 426 cubic-inch, 7-liter Hemi V8, plenty of success followed.

For its current anniversary, Dodge has further boosted its performance-hungry audience with the Charger Daytona Scat Pack, an electric sedan. It’s promoted as the industry’s first four-door EV muscle car and the segment’s quickest and most powerful offering.

The vehicle’s stats are a muscle car connoisseur’s dream: 670 horsepower, 627 pound-feet of torque and 0-to-60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds. Driving modes include Eco Wet/Snow, Sport, Comfort and Custom.

All 2026 Charger Daytona trims are standard equipped with Uconnect 5, the brand’s infotainment system. Features are displayed on a clean design, straightforward-to-use 12.3-inch touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, SiriusXM satellite radio, performance Pages, dual smartphone support and connected services with access to a Wi-Fi hotspot highlight tech equipment.

The reviewed 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack also featured the Track Package ($4,995). It includes more than a dozen sporting and comfort options, heated second-row seats and uber comfortable, high-back bucket seats to 20-inch satin carbon aluminum wheels and red brake calipers.

Additional featured equipment includes a flat top and flat bottom steering wheel and an Alpine nine-speaker audio system with a subwoofer.

All standard features are potential deal-breakers. If a buyer accepts the EV concept in a muscle car, the range is subpar. Dodge promotes an EPA range of 223 miles, far below (sort of) rivals, the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally (265 miles) and Tesla Model S (400 miles). 

According to vehicle literature, the 400-volt system has a maximum capacity of 183 kW, far slower than Tesla’s touted 250-kW rate. Fifteen minutes of DC charging adds only 74 miles of range.

Further disappointing is the Fratzonic fake exhaust. At best, it’s an automotive “pull-back-the-curtain” novelty. It’s loud and provides brief drama. But it’s nothing more than blowhard bravado.

Via a near-hidden toggle switch, the sound engages through speakers and chambers that mimic the real deal. The engine noise can reach 126 decibels, Dodge reports. It’s the same limit produced by a Hellcat-powered Dodge. Muscle car experts won’t be fooled; Muscle car purists will be disappointed.

Back seats won’t be comfortable for taller occupants, but it’s a tradeoff. The sloping roofline reduces the interior space, but it’s a major component of the Charger’s exterior handsomeness. The smallish rear seating is also countered by the 22.8-cubic-foot trunk space. It’s big enough for a foursome’s golf bags.

Despite its shortcomings, the four-door layout provides an unusual muscle-car trait. While not spacious, the Daytona can be a super-powered daily driver. Grocery shopping and maneuvering in and out of parking lots isn’t a muscle car’s desired happy place. But it’s now possible, albeit an odd transition.

The 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, $70,375 as reviewed, can haul families and luggage. It looks, drives and performs as its ancestors did on the NASCAR tracks. 

But with its new persona, it tries too hard to simultaneously be too many cars. It remains at its best where its legend began.

Visit: https://www.dodge.com/charger.html