Dodge reveals all-wheel drive Challenger GT
US car-maker confirms its Mustang rival will come with all-weather AWD, but only with the V6Dodge has confirmed it will offer the option of all-wheel drive on the 2017 Challenger GT.
The news of the new Challenger variant follows October's leak from the US EPA, which accidentally published fuel figures ahead of the Challenger GT AWD’s unveiling.
Dodge says the four-wheel drive coupe will only be offered with the 228kW 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' V6 engine.
Combined with the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, the Challenger uses the same all-wheel drive system as the Dodge Charger.
This means that in regular driving, 100 per cent of the V6's 364Nm of torque is channelled to the rear wheels.
If the car detects slip, a proportion of this torque can then be deployed to the front wheels.
Along with the addition of an extra pair of drive wheels, the Challenger GT AWD comes with a new Sport mode, gearshift paddles and launch control.
Dodge hasn't quoted how much quicker the all-wheel drive Challenger is compared to its rear-wheel drive sibling but offers owners the options of finding out themselves thanks to standard fitment of the firm's Performance Pages on-board computer that can record 0-100km/h, g-force and lap times.
The Challenger GT AWD also comes standard on black 19-inch wheels and gets a new rear spoiler.
In the US the Dodge Challenger GT AWD costs $34,990 (A$45,800).
It's hoped that in the future Dodge will engineer its all-wheel drive system for the wild 527kW/880Nm Challenger SRT Hellcat.
As recently revealed by motoring.com.au the next-generation of the both the Charger and Challenger could finally venture Down Under, but not until 2019.
It's thought that the next Charger and Challenger will shift from using the elderly rear-drive LX platform to the all-new RWD Giorgio platform that currently underpins both the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio SUV.
Both of Alfa’s new models have been engineered for right-hand drive markets and it's thought the next Charger and Challenger could share the same RHD components, significantly reducing the cost of developing cars for markets like Australia.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
