Dodge may be a shadow of its former self, but it has satisfied the muscle car crowd over the years. The auto marque had a few bold takes on the old Challenger with the numerous Hellcat variants, topped by the Demon and Demon 170.
More recently, Dodge has introduced a new muscle car in its portfolio, and instead of the Challenger nameplate, it uses the more traditional Charger moniker. Besides the two-door coupe, it also offers a four-door sedan, and that's not the big news, as it already did that in the past. You see, besides the ICE-powered versions, it also has a few electric takes on the all-new Charger series.
As a result, this model is the first and only battery-electric muscle car, leaving the Ford Mustang in the dust, as the Blue Oval's rival only comes with a pair of internal combustion engines, the 2.3L EcoBoost and 5.0L Coyote V8. General Motors pulled the plug on the sixth-gen Chevy Camaro at the end of last year, promising that the nameplate will eventually return, yet no one knows when.
Besides the latest Charger, the Hornet is a new addition to Dodge's portfolio, which also includes the aging Durango. The third generation has been around since 2010 and shares many components with the old Jeep Grand Cherokee. Despite being an old product, the carmaker has positioned it on the exciting side of the segment with the marvelous Hellcat series, boasting 710 horsepower from a 6.2L supercharged V8.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | Theottle
It is a well-known fact that Dodge is preparing the demise of the current Durango, as a new one is said to be on the horizon. Its successor will reportedly debut as a 2026 model in our market, supposedly featuring a few electron-sipping powertrains. The Stellantis-owned brand is said to offer it with internal combustion units as well, and it will be interesting to see how punchy and fast the future range-topper is.
Given the lengthy wait and that we have yet to see a test mule, let alone a prototype, we couldn't tell you how it will look. Nevertheless, the rendering crowd has already tried to decipher its visual secrets. We have seen several unofficial digital illustrations of the 2026 Dodge Durango so far, and the latest came via Theottle on YouTube.
Can you spot the vehicle that served as a blank canvas beneath the fresh skin? It is none other than the ugly BMW XM. The front and rear ends came from the latest Charger, and we've got to admit that this styling suits the model. The pixel manipulator dressed it in orange to emphasize its sporty nature. The vehicle also has a muscly hood, sporty alloys, beefed-up brakes, and other bits and bobs. But the question is, do you like it?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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