Pros
- Muscle-car quick
- Comfortable ride
- Four-door hatchback practicality
Cons
- Not great at EV stuff
- Burnouts and drifts hard to do
- Fake engine sound not for everyone
Our first test of the two-door Dodge Charger Daytona made it clear: Despite what the skeptics say, this EV is a muscle car. It’s a straight-line monster and a bold reinterpretation of the muscle car formula for the electric era. Acceleration is staggering, and Dodge’s synthetic soundtrack, while not authentic, does add some theater.
Of course, purists will miss the rumble and visceral feel of the old Hemi V-8s (if they want gas power, Dodge will soon have a Charger motivated by its Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six), and its inability to deliver smoky burnout drama on demand may frustrate longtime Dodge fans. Just as it did with the old muscle cars, the Daytona’s heft also shows at the limit, and caveats remain around its limited range, sluggish charging, and software glitches.
As for the four-door version of the Charger Daytona, it’s new this year, and apart from the added entry points, it’s mostly the same beast as the Daytona coupe. Its daily comfort is impressive, and with two more doors, the Charger Daytona becomes a more sensible family hauler—albeit one that can run the quarter mile in the 11s.
So, what do those added doors do for performance, if anything? And how does the 2026 Charger Daytona Scat Pack sedan with the Track pack stack up against other sporty EVs? Read on to find out.
Driving Experience
The Charger Daytona Scat Pack four-door delivers the same instant thrust as the coupe, leading by 0.1 second to 60 mph in our testing with a wicked quick 3.3-second run. That’s the same number as the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally despite being more than 1,000 pounds heavier. Launches are brutal, though the shove fades after 40 mph. Mid-roll acceleration is inconsistent—sometimes smooth, sometimes sudden.
The Track package adds Brembo brakes that perform well enough during street driving but show poor calibration under hard testing, cycling through lockup, release, and reapplication in unsettling fashion. In stopping from 60 mph, though, it outperformed the Mach-E Rally by 11 feet, again, despite all that extra poundage (blame those rally tires). Steering is heavy without much precision, and while the adaptive dampers keep the ride comfortable most of the time, larger bumps can unsettle the car. Its AWD traction eliminates classic tail-out antics, replacing them with safe but uninspiring understeer.
Its weight is a defining trait. The four-door tips the scales at just 87 pounds heavier than the coupe, but compared with other EV rivals, it’s a three-ton tank—the heaviest 2025 Porsche Taycan, for example, is about 600 pounds lighter. At speed, the Daytona feels massive, going light over crests and floating across rough pavement. The Scat Pack’s summer tires provide strong grip and stability in sweepers, but quick transitions once again reveal the car’s bulk.
The Fratzonic fake exhaust is another sticking point. Loud and cartoonish, it adds drama but little authenticity, and its toggle is buried in infotainment menus. The lack of burnouts and over-the-top V-8 personality could be dealbreakers for enthusiasts.
Efficiency? Not So Much
Range is a weak spot. The Charger Daytona’s battery doesn’t allow much more than a couple of spirited hours before needing a recharge, making it less than practical for road trips. Dodge claims an EPA range of 223 miles (we recorded just 190 miles in our 70-mph, MotorTrend Road-Trip Range Test), but rivals like the Tesla Model S stretch to 400 miles, and even the Mach-E Rally offers 265.
Charging isn’t anything to shout about, either. Its 400-volt system maxes at 183 kW, slower than the Tesla Model S’s 250-kW rate but quicker than the Mach-E’s 150. In our testing, 15 minutes of DC fast charging added only 74 miles of range. Not great.
Build Quality and Value
Inside, the Daytona feels familiar but updated. The design is recognizably Dodge, and the seats are plush and comfortable. Unfortunately, quality control is spotty. We found squeaky trim, flimsy switches, and a trunklid that even got stuck once. Some materials feel premium, while others cheapen the cabin. The air-conditioning system also struggled in hot weather.
Software is arguably worse. The infotainment system is laggy, the touch-sensitive climate controls frustrating, and changing drive modes often scrambled displays. Important EV functions like regen settings and charging limits are buried in confusing menus. Even basics like a built-in route planner are missing.
Our well-optioned test car included the Track package ($4,995), Sea and Sound ($2,495), Carbon and Suede ($1,995), Bludicrous paint ($795), and performance tires ($795). With options, the total hit $79,360—putting it closer to Tesla Model S money than the Mach-E.
