Dodge Charger Hellcat Non-Widebody Is Dead, Long Live The Widebody

Dodge giveth and Dodge taketh away.

Late last month, Dodge introduced the 2020 Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody, a wider version of the standard Charger SRT Hellcat. It was seen as a complement to the narrower Charger Hellcat; however, Dodge has confirmed with Motor1.com the widebody version will be the only Hellcat Charger available for the 2020 model year. The widebody exterior is now standard equipment for the hellacious sedan.


The discontinuation of the narrow-body Charger Hellcat helped Dodge claim the new widebody version is the world’s fastest mass-produced sedan with a top speed of 196 miles per hour (315 kilometers per hour). As Muscle Cars and Trucks notes, which mentions Dodge’s discontinuation of the non-widebody model, the discontinuation of the 200-mph (321-kph) Cadillac CTS-V also helped Dodge with its assertion.

Customers eager for a Charger SRT Hellcat will have to settle for the widebody version. The new Charger sports wider fenders that add 3.5 inches to the body’s width while allowing 11-inch wide tires to fit underneath the sedan. Dodge also overhauled the suspension, adding stiffer springs, Bilstein three-mode adaptive dampers, and larger sway bars.

Under the hood is the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 707 horsepower (527 kilowatts) and 650 pound-feet (881 Newton-meters) of torque, which pairs with the familiar eight-speed gearbox. The muscle car hits 60 mph (96 kph) in 3.6 seconds and can cover the quarter-mile in 10.96 seconds. Dodge also crammed a ton of performance technology inside, too, such as line lock that holds the front brakes during burnouts, and Race Cooldown that continues to run the intercooler pump and radiator for supercharger cooling. Launch control is available through a switch on the dashboard.

While the Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody’s top speed is below that of the non-widebody Dodge Charger Hellcat – 204 mph (328 kph) – the widebody version brings a host of refinements that should significantly improve handling and lateral grip. Dealer orders open this fall with deliveries starting in early 2020. Dodge will announce pricing information closer to the car’s launch. However, if the widebody look isn’t your style, the 2020 Charger Scat Pack is available in both standard body and widebody. 

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