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Dodge Challenger Named Best In Class 2016 Ideal Vehicle Awards, New Model Due In 2019

By Jinger Jarrett
Published on: 00:31 PST, Jul 25, 2016

Ideal Vehicle Awards has awarded the 2016 Dodge Challenger the “Most Ideal Sporty Car” for the fourth year in a row. The award is given based on a survey of vehicle owners to determine what changes need to be made to the respective vehicle.

PR Newswire reported that a national survey was conducted among vehicle owners of the Dodge Challenger. In the survey, 65,000 owners were asked what changes they would desire in the vehicle they own. Owners of the 2016 Dodge Challenger said that the Challenger meets or exceeds their expectations in a driving experience.

The Dodge Challenger is part of a line of vehicles that offers the most complete lineup of muscle cars on the market. The 2016 Dodge Challenger SXT offers a Pentastar V-6 engine that delivers 305 horsepower using an eight-speed transmission, while the 2016 Dodge Challenger R/T offers a 6.4-liter HEMI Challenger R/T Scat Pack that includes a 485 horsepower engine that delivers 475 lbs. per foot torque. It comes with either a six-speed or eight-speed transmission and available for less than $40,000.

Rounding out the lineup are the 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT 392 and the 2016 Hellcat. The SRT 392 offers a 6.4 liter naturally aspired Hemi powerplant, while the Hellcat offers a 707 horsepower 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 engine that’s been supercharged. The Hellcat is considered to be the fastest muscle car on the market.

George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. said that the Dodge Challenger had what their owners want.

“The Dodge Challenger has a wide product range that provides what Sporty Car drivers want. Challenger has hit its target out-pointing Sporty Car competitors in Ideal Vehicle attributes.”

The News Wheel reported that the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Challenger were named best in class by the AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Awards for 2016. This is the sixth year in a row for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, while the Dodge Challenger won it for the fourth year in a row. Both vehicles are made by Fiat Chrysler although they carry the Jeep and Dodge names.

Owners were surveyed after 90 days of purchase, and they were asked what they would change about their vehicles based on 15 key categories. What the awards show is that customers are getting what they want in a vehicle.

Car Scoops reported that the next model of the Dodge Challenger will be released in 2019. The Hellcat, the fastest of the Dodge Challenger models, may come with a 750 horsepower engine. The current Dodge Challenger model hit the market about eight years ago. Although the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, Challenger’s competitors, have undergone significant changes and upgrades, the Dodge Challenger may be considered a dinosaur in comparison.

Dodge’s next model of the Challenger will be based around a rear-wheel drive platform similar to the one offered in the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Two major changes will occur for the current model, and that’s a lighter vehicle and a more compact package. This will contribute to a massive change in the driving experience for Dodge Challenger owners.

The changes to the model will arrive either in 2018 or 2019. Although speculation points to both a V-6 and V-8 engine choices, there’s the possibility that a turbocharged 4-cyclinder model will be offered. Competitors of the Challenger offer 2.5 liter versions of their vehicles for customers. The V-6 and V-8 engines could deliver as much as 750 horsepower, but this amount of power will only be available in the Hellcat, the top end model for the Dodge Challenger. Dodge’s goal is to make the Challenger a cheaper alternative to the Alfa Romeo and rival the Camaro and Mustang.

[Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images]

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