Nose Job: 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Spied With New Nostrils

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

Like a bull who’s had enough of the matador and his capote de brega, the Dodge Charger has been spied flaring its nostrils. We saw this design flourish in a teaser shot distributed by the company for the 2019 Charger Hellcat, and it now shows up on the Scat Pack trim.

The Charger is currently offered in no fewer than 11 different trims that represent a steady and relentless upward march of power and tire-melting capabilities. The Scat Pack is number eight on the totem pole.

While the Hellcat model gets all the attention, it is this author’s belief the Scat Pack represents the best value in this hairy-chested lineup. Currently starting at a fiver under $40,000, the existing Charger R/T Scat Pack packs a 485 horsepower 6.4-liter V8 under its bulbous and scoop-filled hood.

An extra five grand nets buyers the Daytona 392 model, a car which adds leather seats and six-piston Brembos to the mix. The Hellcat is advertised at $67,995 and promises admission to the 700-horse and 200 mph clubs. At less than three-fifths the price of its Hellcat big brother, the Scat Pack car is the one I would buy with my own money.

Not that it would look much different, inside or out, than the 2012 Charger currently resting in my two-car garage. FCA has suggested a few interior “upgrades” will appear for 2019, likely in the form of new upholstery and dashboard trim options. Recall that no plan was laid out for the Dodge brand at Sergio’s big investor party on June 1st, so any speculation of what platform on which future Chargers and Challengers will rest is just that – speculation.

The nostril-ized grille is flanked by a set of LED headlamps that are marginally different than those found on the current car, though it’s hardly a sea of change. These year-to-year tweaks will be noted at the 2058 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, surely. Until then, we’ll have to park new and old side-by-each to tell the difference.

Don’t expect much change between the fenders either, with 6.4L likely to return largely untouched by R&D dollars. There’s no reason to imagine the admittedly superb eight-speed automatic is going anywhere, either. At the top end of the Charger spectrum, there is a chance the Hellcat motor will be fettled to find a few more horses, thanks to development ideas born during the Demon’s reign of power. That kit could include a Drag Pack with the trans brake and fabulously-named Air Chiller. I’m setting the over/under at 730 horses.

Chargers have hovered just under 100,000 annual units since 2013, a couple of years after the company dressed it in new duds and ditched the PlaySkool interior. Rumours about the next-gen car have bounced from it being based on a Maserati to an Alfa platform to simply staying on its existing architecture.

[Images: Brian Williams/Spiedbilde]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • Rudi Rudi on Jun 08, 2018

    I paid 20% off MSRP a bit over a year ago for my new 2017 Daytona 392 loaded. 14,000 miles later and I still smile every time I drive it. It is full of character and fun as heck. The upgraded 6-piston brembros with the wider tires that the scat pack lacks are appreciated with a car this powerful. Although I would prefer stick, the 8spd auto works well and I appreciate the room of the 4dr Charger. Would buy it again in a heart beat.

    • See 2 previous
    • Jerome10 Jerome10 on Jun 09, 2018

      I only have experience in a rental R/T but I'm with you. Most cars are sold isolating today when I get in one with any sort of personality I tend to become pretty enamored with it. Theyre not the best cars on paper yet you fall in love. And the way the Charger spit and shook and sounded and went made me laugh out loud like a little kid. Like I hadn't since the first time I drove a miata in maybe 1996. And then on the highway it settles down and cruises extremely well. Actually turns pretty well also. I have often thought a slightly used one would look great in the garage. I loved it. But then the next day I want a 4runner, and the day after I'm amazed as hell with the Fusion Hybrid, albeit for totally different reasons. But yeah, FCA, despite the age of this platform, continues to make a fantastic car from it. Extra refreshing these days.

  • Ernest Ernest on Jun 08, 2018

    I'm coming up on 2 yrs with my R/T. Thing's been almost as flawless as my wife's Camry- which is really saying something.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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