4 Reasons Why the 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Will Succeed

After months of speculation and rumors, FCA introduced the 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody in Hellcat and Scat Pack form at their annual “What’s New” media event in Michigan. For the most part, online conversations about the wider super-sedan have been positive, but of course, there some people who don’t like the look and as it often the case – those folks are the loudest. They insist that the widebody Charger is sure to fail, complaining that the body kit isn’t designed to their liking or that consumers simply don’t want an even bigger performance sedan.

I think that they are wrong, and I think that the new widebody design will sell well for three key reasons. There are plenty of other reasons why people will buy the 2020 Charger with the wider body, but here are the four top reasons why people will buy the new-look Dodge muscle sedan.

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Hot, New Look for the 2020 Dodge Charger
First and foremost, the 2020 Dodge Charger with the widebody package is the hot, new item on the American performance car market and for that reason, some people will rush out to get one. The Charger hasn’t had any major changes since the 2015 model year and Mopar sedan fans have been openly complaining about the lack of upgrades, especially with the many changes made to the Challenger lineup over the past few years. Charger and performance sedan fans have wanted something new and the widebody package is the perfect addition to the lineup.

The folks who are really only concerned with the look will be able to go with the Charger R/T Scat Pack with the optional widebody design, which will save them some money compared to the price of the Hellcat. While I personally always suggest that buyers go with the Hellcat, those Dodge Charger fans who aren’t all that interested in having or using 707 horsepower can enjoy 485 horsepower and save a few bucks on the purchase.

Most People Love the Design
Second, while there are plenty of people who have made it very clear on social media that they do not like the 2020 Dodge Charger with the new widebody package, the overall reception has been very positive. The vast majority of people commenting on articles, videos and pictures love the muscular look of the flared wheel openings and while we should take this with a grain of salt, many social media users are enthusiastically talking about getting a widebody Charger when they go on sale.

While some of the loudest members of the automotive community hate the look, there are far more people who really like the widened Dodge Charger.

Improved 2020 Dodge Charger Performance
Next, some people will head to the dealership to buy the 2020 Dodge Charger with the widebody package due to the fact that it offers improved performance over the standard-width body. The performance improvements come due to the fact that Dodge can fit a much wider Pirelli tire under all four corners, leading to improved low-end acceleration and better cornering grip. As a result, the Charger widebody is quicker from 0 to 60, quicker in the quarter mile and significantly faster around a road course.

To be exact, the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with the standard widebody design will sprint from a stop to 60 in just 3.6 seconds, covering the quarter mile in 10.96 seconds. It will also pull 0.96g on the skidpad and this strong cornering grip leads to a 13-car-length difference on a 2.1-mile road course compared to the 2019 Hellcat Charger with the standard-width body.

As for the Charger R/T Scat Pack, it gets to 60 in just 4.3 seconds while running through the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds. Also, it will hit 0.98g on the skidpad and on the same 2.1-mile road course as is mentioned above, the widebody Scat Pack beats the standard-width body by 8 lengths.

In short, anyone who is buying a 2020 Dodge Charger based on performance should opt for the widebody package, whether they are road racing or drag racing.

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The Only Dodge Charger Hellcat in 2020
Finally, Dodge is all-but-guaranteed to sell at least 2,000 widebody Chargers for the 2020 model year because the feature is standard on the SRT Hellcat model. Every Hellcat Charger sold for 2020 will have the widebody design and through the first four model years of the Hellcat (2015-2018), Dodge has averaged 2,427 supercharged sedans sold per year. Even if Hellcat Charger sales are below 2,000 units, the added units from the Scat Pack are sure to help the company sell at least 2,000 examples of the widebody sedan in the first model year.

See you in my next story where I am discussing the 2020 Dodge Charger SXT, GT and R/T changes, which include a lot of new wheels.

Patrick Rall @TheAutoBeard is the Managing Editor of Torque News. Please follow us on Twitter at @TorqueNewsAuto, Facebook and send us tips. You can also Follow Patrick on Youtube.