The Pros and Cons of the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye’s Interior

For me, this nameplate has a special significance. Although I grew up in Europe and I had Ferrari F40 and Lamborghini Diablo posters on my bedroom wall, above them was another one twice as big with a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T.

As most fans of the first and second generations, I was disappointed when Dodge decided to bring back the Charger in the form of a sedan back in 2006. Still, as time passed, it started to grow on me. The early SRT8 versions definitely helped, and when the Hellcat debuted in August 2014, I started appreciating it even more.

For the current model year, Dodge introduced the crazy Redeye variant that boasts 90 hp more than the standard Hellcat’s supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi, amounting to a whopping 797 hp.

In terms of horsepower, that makes it the most powerful sedan out there, and this is arguably the main reason why someone would decide to buy one. While there’s nothing to complain about when it comes to performance, the interior is far from perfect, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons.

The Pros

Like the widebody exterior, the cabin’s design is in large part a success. For a non-luxury sedan, it doesn’t look outdated, it provides plenty of room, and comes as standard with many upgrades compared to less powerful trims.

The heated steering wheel is one of these upgrades, and its bulky, leather-wrapped rim feels appropriate for a 4,600-pound (2,087-kg), 797-hp car.

It comes with an SRT-branded airbag cover that glows red at night, and behind it, the ergonomic metal paddle shifters remind you that this isn’t an ordinary Charger. The T-shaped shifter is also a nice touch and provides a more old-school experience if paddles aren’t necessarily your thing.

Another feature that differentiates the Redeye from your run-of-the-mill Chargers is the Laguna leather-trimmed seats.

They’re big, comfortable, and there’s sufficient lateral bolstering to keep you in place when you want to burn some rubber. Seat heating and ventilation come standard, which is really nice if you live in an area where temperatures vary throughout the year.

The backseat is also leather-trimmed and heated, and occupants have a surprising amount of legroom, something that you wouldn’t expect after seeing how big the front seats are.

Maybe even more surprising is the car’s humongous trunk. Among non-luxury full-size sedans, the Charger reigns supreme with its 16.5 cubic feet (467 liters) of cargo space.

The Cons

While there are plenty of things to like about the muscle car’s interior, one thing that stands out negatively is the abundance of cheap plastics. The glovebox is one good example of interior elements that should have gotten more attention from the design team.

It features the same design as the 2007 model and has a cheap-looking cover that could have at least gotten a metallic, SRT badged handle instead of the plastic one it’s fitted with.

Moving on to the center stack, we find the 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen shared with all other trims except the base SXT. While it’s more than adequate and functions properly, it would have been nice to see the 10.1-inch variant we find in higher-end Durangos.

Also, using it is the only way you can change driving modes, which leads us to another notable annoyance: the lack of a physical drive mode selector.

Even though we praised the front seats earlier, the Redeye’s interior would have been much more attractive with an additional lightweight bucket seat option.

Since this is a heavy car, shaving a few pounds by placing lighter, track-oriented seats wouldn’t make much of a difference performance-wise, but it would have improved the cabin's overall appeal.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the backseat is reclined too far, which is great for the comfort of smaller adults, but those who are taller risk hitting their heads against the rear window if the driver puts his (or hers) foot down on the gas pedal.

The Conclusion

We definitely can’t say that the 2021 Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye’s interior is awful, but it’s not perfect either. It could do with some improvements, especially when it comes to selecting materials, not to mention that a physical drive mode selector is a must.

On the other hand, it comes with many cool features, it’s comfortable and spacious, so those looking to buy one of these monsters shouldn’t be discouraged by its shortcomings.