Who Wants the Final Hellcat-Powered Dodge, and Who Thinks a Fresh Model 3 Is Better?

Many carmakers refrained from bringing out something that could be eclipsed by the ritzy novelties at CES 2024, but we still got to see the (higher) new prices of the 2024 Chevy Colorado mid-size pickup truck – a model which snatched second place last year behind the eternal Toyota Tacoma. Speaking of the Japanese automaker, it did present the subtly upgraded (yet still notoriously hard-to-write-or-pronounce) 2024 bZ4X all-electric compact crossover SUV.

Of course, if you want to talk about electrics, another Tesla is keeping the headlines. This time, it's neither the Cybertruck full-size pickup truck nor the Model Y crossover, which allegedly beat Toyota's Corolla to become the best-selling car in the world overall in 2023. Instead, Tesla's main novelty for the US market was the surprisingly quick introduction of the updated Model 3 Highland. It wasn't fast per se because Europe and Asia have had it for months – instead, it's surprising that we didn't get a long teasing campaign.

Instead, the refreshed Model 3 Highland just popped on the company's online portal in just two versions – RWD from $38,990 with 272 miles of EPA-estimated range, and Long Range with a higher rating of 341 miles and $45,990 starting price. Unfortunately, while the same prices as before are great news at first glance, the problem is that Tesla's Model 3 has lost the $7,500 tax incentive, and that makes it potentially just as costly as the Model Y. There's a trick to take advantage of the rebate – you just lease the Model 3. Still, Tesla doesn't let you keep the vehicle at the end of the lease period.

Another thing of note is that Tesla is holding back the upgraded Model 3 Performance because it's still in development, and the rumor mill believes that's a good thing – it's quite possible that Tesla is going berserk with the high-performance version and will allow its Model 3 access into the mind-numbingly quick Plaid family. Don't bet on 1,020 horsepower, but it will probably be significantly faster and more powerful than the current Model 3 Performance – which is probably still available in stock if you search hard enough.

Moving on, at the end of the ICE-powered spectrum, the opposite of Tesla's sustainability with the Model 3, sits Dodge's final Hellcat-equipped and Hemi-powered vehicle. This is simply because Stellantis' brand already ceased production of the Dodge Challenger and Charger models last month, and now they're revealing that the end is near for the V8-powered Durango, too. More precisely, the company also announced a slew of 'Last Call' special editions for the mid-size crossover SUV. However, they are not starting strong with over 700 ponies.

Instead, the first special edition of the 2024 Durango season will be the SRT 392 AlcHemi. A play upon the word alchemy – which is the medieval science of turning metal into gold – the menacing Durango has special yellow-accented graphics and trim details, yellow Brembo brake calipers, 20-inch Satin Black wheels, lots of black bits and pieces, and even some carbon fiber details on the inside. But this is merely an appearance package, so the 392 Hemi V8 still makes 475 hp and 470 lb-ft when hooked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is only the appetizer, though, and throughout the year, there will be more Last Call Durango editions, eventually for the Hellcat version, as well.

Now it's also time to discuss the first event of the automotive season – CES 2024. As always, the show in Las Vegas was a combination of technology and cutting-edge ideas, but it has grown accustomed to serving as a platform for carmakers, too. Many of them had technology-related stuff to reveal, from Volkswagen putting the ChatGPT AI system in its cars to Mercedes teaming up with Will.I.Am for MBUX Sound Drive – something that could potentially make your next Mercedes EV turn into a musical instrument, of sorts. Also, there was just about everything in between, but there were some notable vehicle-related announcements, too.

For example, Volkswagen also brought a specially-camouflaged prototype of the Golf GTI with facelift (8.5) and it wasn't hard to see the design beneath it. The little Vietnamese maker VinFast wanted to come fast and win the US market with the announcement related to the introduction of the little VF 3 eSUV on the local market – and they also revealed a mid-size EV pickup truck called VF Wild. It's still a prototype at this moment, though. Last but not least, Honda had a couple of big announcements, including a new logo that looks like a kid imagined a modern take on the slingshot. Additionally, the Japanese automaker introduced the unimaginatively-named Saloon concept and the Space-Hub minivan, which probably won't make it into production because no one really cares too much about MPVs anymore, especially in America.

Oh, wait, before I forget. Bugatti also revealed the final Chiron – though it's only the last of the base versions featuring 1,500 PS or 1,479 horsepower. It does signal the end of an era, and from now on, we can expect to see many more Chiron-based finales that sing the ode to the W16 powertrain and all of this hypercar's achievements.