Widebody becomes standard for the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat by Patrick Rall on

We have all known for some time now that FCA has been working on a widebody version of the modern Dodge Charger and today, we finally have the details on the thicker Mopar super sedan. The most surprising detail is that unlike the Challenger, the widebody package is not an option on the Hellcat Charger, as all supercharged sedans built for the 2020 model year will be equipped with the wider body, wheels and tires.

In other words, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody is here, but the original Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with the standard body design has been discontinued, at least for 2020. However, the widebody package is an option on the Charger R/T Scat Pack, so only the Hellcat Charger is without a narrow-bodied design for next model year.

“People say, ‘no one wants cars anymore.’ I would tell you that the 40,000 people who bought a Dodge Charger so far this year would probably agree, because to them, the Charger isn’t just a car. The Charger’s reach extends beyond body-style practicalities and it can’t be defined by average industry shifts,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. “Can you buy a vehicle that is dollar for dollar more practical than a Charger Widebody? Absolutely, but there are also more than 1,000 flavors of ice cream and vanilla is only one of them. If the ‘average’ person will own six cars in their lifetime, our cars need to connect so strongly that people can’t help, but turn around and take a second look before walking away.”

Widebody Details

As mentioned above, the new Dodge Charger widebody package is standard on the SRT Hellcat and it is optional on the R/T Scat Pack. This design adds front and rear wheel opening flares that are integrated into the redesigned fascias, adding 3.5-inches of width to the overall stance.

Filling those deeper wheel openings are 20×11-inch rollers wrapped in 305/35/20 Pirelli PZero tires, with Brembo 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston calipers out back. These are the standard brakes of the Hellcat cars, but they are included as part of the widebody package for the Scat Pack.

Finally, in addition to the unique body bits, wheels and tires, the new widebody Charger Hellcat comes with electronic power steering, front springs that are 32% stiffer, larger sway bars (32mm to 34mm up front, 19mm to 22mm out back) and retuned rear dampers with stiffer springs. The package also adds some gadgets from the Challenger Demon, including Race Cooldown mode, Line Lock, Launch Control and Launch Assist.

Oh, and no mention of a Redeye version of the Hellcat Charger just yet, so right now, it is still “only” 707 horsepower in the supercharged Dodge sedan, but we are keeping our hopes up for the future.

Performance Numbers

The 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody offers the same 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque as the current super-sedan, but thanks to the thicker rubber and retuned suspension, this beast is quicker in the quarter mile and better on the road course. Launching from a stop, the widebody Charger Hellcat gets to 60 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds while covering the quarter mile in just 10.96 seconds. It will also pull 0.96 Gs on a skidpad and get stopped from 60 in just 107 feet.

When you put all of these performance improvements together, the widebody Hellcat Charger is 2.1-seconds quicker around an unspecified 2.1-mile test track, beating the non-widebody Hellcat Charger by roughly 13 car-lengths.

As for the widebody Scat Pack, the 485 horsepower V8 allows it to dash to 60 in 4.3 seconds while the quarter mile takes 12.4 seconds and most impressively, the naturally aspirated widebody sedan pulls a stronger 0.98 Gs on the skidpad while stopping from 60 in the same 107 feet as the Hellcat.

Finally, the widebody Scat Pack on that aforementioned 2.1-mile road course was 1.3-seconds quicker than the standard-width version, a lead of about 8 lengths.

We don’t have any pricing on the 2020 Dodge Charger yet, but we know that dealers will be able to begin ordering the widebody Hellcat and Scat Pack later this year, with the first units expected to reach customers early in 2020.

Oh, and for those wondering, the 2020 Charger will be offered in the following exterior colors:

F8 Green

Frostbite (NEW)

Go Mango

Granite Crystal

Hellraisin (NEW)

IndiGo Blue

Octane Red

Pitch Black

Sinamon Stick (NEW)

TorRed

Triple Nickel

White Knuckle

Patrick Rall was raised a Mopar boy, spending years racing a Dodge Mirada while working his way through college. After spending a few years post-college in the tax accounting field, Patrick made the jump to the world of journalism and his work has been published in magazines and websites around the world.