Spied: 2011 Dodge Charger

As Chrysler continues to struggle in the absence of new product, it’s refreshing to finally get a glimpse of the next-generation Dodge Charger, which can’t get here soon enough. Although it’s covered in camouflage, we’re able to see some new cues that appear to have been influenced by its retro-sibling, the Challenger.

For starters, up front we can see the trademark cross-hair grille grows larger and is restyled. Rather than being a canted overbite tucked under the nose, the new grille bubbles out from the center of the cross hairs, while the hood retains its domed shape.

A smoother greenhouse incorporating a more steeply raked windshield nicely accents a new shoulder line. Sweeping along the doors, the line flows into a slightly extended rear deck. With camo hiding the aft section of the rear-door glass, we can only speculate that changes are below, which we think could mean more glass at the C-pillar instead of the current car’s plastic triangle. Revised side mirrors are shorter in height and positioned lower at the base of a thinner A-pillar. We hope that will combine with the possible extra glass in the rear to resolve visibility woes.

At the rear, restyled taillights—which could be LED units—sit in what looks like a recessed rear valance, much like that on the Challenger. Overall, we are hoping for more of a vintage style to the updated Charger that will better complement its muscle.

And speaking of that muscle, while it’s obvious we can’t see what is under the hood, Charger fans should expect to see the latest version of the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, currently rated at 368 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. We expect Dodge to eke out a little more power in this application; perhaps the 390 hp as in the Ram’s version of the engine. Additionally, the new Pentastar V-6 debuting in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will serve as the base powerplant with some 280 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. While the future of the performance SRT line has often been in question, we’d say it’s safe to expect a Charger SRT8 to remain in the cards with as much horsepower as—or maybe more than—the 425 offered by the current 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 (a more powerful 6.4-liter version has been rumored for some time).

The new Charger should appear in the buff sometime this auto-show season with production beginning late in 2010, but with so much uncertainty wrapped around Chrysler’s future, that estimate is most likely subject to change.

Thanks to: Car and Driver