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2015 Dodge Charger goes under the knife

2015 Dodge Charger goes under the knife

Over the past decade, Chrysler's rear-wheel-drive sedans have managed to survive a bankruptcy and three different corporate overlords. Thanks to the original stoutness of the Mercedes-assisted chassis, and the periodic updates that keep them from seeming like 21st-century versions of the Ford Crown Victoria, the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger combo still draw in fans. Today, Dodge revealed yet another redesign for the 2015 Charger — and for an old car, it's quite the change.

Chrysler designers said they wanted to give the Charger the same familial appearance as that of the new Dart and Durango. The biggest swap comes from the new wrap around LED daytime running lamps, paired with a blacked-out "mask" grille. The changes reduce drag, but also make for the most dramatic alteration to the Charger since it was launched in 2006.

The rest of the body receives less noticeable smoothening and tweaks — only the roof and rear doors carry over from the previous versions — but by moving the C-pillar rearward, the Charger takes on more of a fastback shape.

Inside, there's a phalanx of smaller updates. The anachronistic gated shifter departs for a sleeker control unit; electric power steering replaces the old hydraulics, and the 8-speed transmission can now row its gears behind the 5.7-liter Hemi and its 370 hp, which Chrysler claims can hit 60 mph in less than six seconds. (Drivers can track such launches from the new 7-inch info screen in the instrument panel). While there's still an all-wheel-drive model available, it's only built with the 3.6-liter V-6 models.

These kind of updates are necessary because the Fiat Chrysler mothership has more needs than engineers and money at the moment, between launching Alfa Romeo and Jeep globally while feeding the rest of its brands in Europe and elsewhere. The current plan calls for the Charger and its chassis cousins to roll through 2018 before getting a new platform. Thirteen years is ancient for a modern car, but with dramatic revamps like this, who's counting?