The Dodge brand recently held a media first drive event for the 2024 Charger Daytona battery electric vehicle, providing opportunities to drive both the R/T and Scat Pack models that are expected to reach dealerships in the next few weeks. This event was based out of Radford Racing School in Chandler, Arizona, so the invited writers could experience the sporty electric vehicle on the road and the track – and it performed beautifully in every situation.

The higher performance Scat Pack model was more heavily showcased at this media testing event, with that model of the 2024 Dodge Charger coupe being included in both track activities and the open road test. The higher-range R/T model was only available for use on the road test but considering that the Scat Pack is the model that comes with the track-purposed features – it makes sense that it was the model showcased in the track testing.

All-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack

The day of testing the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona began on the road with the Scat Pack model, which comes standard with the Direct Connection Stage 2 kit. That power upgrade leads to 670 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, which when coupled with the advanced all-wheel-drive system yields incredible acceleration from a stop.

On the street, the Charger Daytona Scat Pack effortlessly laid down repeated 0-60 blasts in the low-3-second range thanks to the instant torque application of the electric drive, but in the rare occasion that the tires don’t get solid traction, the new Dodge coupe smokes the rear tires hard and that is a ton of fun. As well as the new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack scoots out from a dig, it pulls through the midrange just as well. Whether you are cruising at 20 or 70, if you mash the throttle, the new Charger blasts up to triple digits in a matter of seconds.

All-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack interior

In short, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack is very quick in just about every condition, with the instant torque and surefootedness giving it a pair of key advantages over most gas-powered, rear-drive performance cars.

The first half of the on-road test drive of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack took place mostly on urban roads and highways, but the end of the drive took the drivers up the steep, mountain roads of Dobbins Point. This road was packed with tight switchbacks separated by short straights, providing a great chance to test the handling capabilities of the new Charger in fairly technical situations. The tight turns and repeated transitions between left and right turns showcased the adaptive damping suspension of the Track Package, controlling the big weight of the new Dodge coupe.

The all-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack maintains Dodge’s throne as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car and delivers SRT levels of performance.

When coming out of those turns, the instant torque and AWD setup helped the car rocket to the next set of turns, with the gigantic Brembo brakes at all four corners quickly and easily bringing all of that weight down to a speed that was manageable enough to carve through the next curve. While the average 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack driver may not plan to go blasting up or down the nearest twisty mountain road, the on-road test made it clear that this new BEV can handle that task with flying colors.

If you like going fast, it is hard not to enjoy driving the new 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack on the open road, but the performance is only a small part of the story of any daily driver. As well as this car performs on twisty roads, the adaptive suspension provides a beautifully smooth ride on the average highway, even in the aggressive track mode setting. In the less aggressive suspension settings, the ride is more luxury-like, muting pretty much every bit of rough road before the vibration gets to the cabin. Along the same lines, the body structure does a great job of insulating sound from the road surface, the wind and the surrounding vehicles.

All-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack with leather/suede high-back performance seats.

For those wondering about the “exhaust note” of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, it is barely audible at speed when in the auto drive mode. Sport mode makes the Fratzonic sound far more noticeable, but it is still fairly quiet. However, when either track or drag modes are selected, the unique sound is at its loudest. The sound has been altered since the first concept and when driving around town, the way that the sound changes with speed and throttle input makes it seem far more natural – nearly mimicking how a combustion engine tone changes with those same variables.

Upon returning to Radford Racing School, it was time to take the 2024 Dodge Charger R/T Stage 1 out for the road test. There are a few key differences between the R/T and the Scat Pack, including the lack of the high-performance features of the track package (adaptive dampers, huge Brembo brakes), no track and drag drive modes and far less horsepower – with the R/T Stage 1 offering 496 horsepower and 404 lb-gt of torque.

All-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack

The R/T still has a comfortable and high-tech interior, a relatively smooth ride and nearly 500 instant-on horsepower, so it is quicker than many vehicles on the street, but this is the model for those prospective buyers who love the design of the new car and who want the most range. The R/T also has a quieter Fratzonic note, since it lacks the track and drag drive modes.

The R/T is rated by the EPA as offering 317 miles on a single charge while the Scat Pack is rated at 260 miles, making the R/T the better choice for those who drive more while the Scat Pack is ideal for those who want peak performance.

All-new Dodge Charger Daytona R/T

Speaking of performance, once the on-road portion of the program was complete, it was time to push the performance to the limit at Radford Racing School. This included an area where the writers could test the 8th mile drag racing capabilities, an area where the drift mode could be sampled and, of course, the large Radford road-course – where every aspect of performance was put to the test. Drift mode was mostly a fun exercise that displayed the function of the high tech all-wheel-drive system, but it the temporary drag strip and road course provided a much greater look at what the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack can do.

Due to work being done on the actual drag strip, the new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack was tested in a portion of a parking lot without any sort of prep to the surface. In this same area, an SRT Hellcat car – or almost any rear-drive performance car – would struggle to get enough grip to make a good drag strip-style run. On the other hand, the new Charger Daytona easily reeled off repeated 8th mile passes in the low-7-second range, with the best times dipping down to 7.1 with a bit of tire spin through the middle of the pull. On a properly prepared drag strip, the sticky surface will almost surely lead to better elapsed times for the sporty Dodge EV.

The all-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack runs the quarter-mile in an estimated 11.5 seconds and reaches 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds.

Finally, the large Radford Racing School road-course let the writers experience the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Stage 2 at speeds that simply aren’t safe on the street. The track has a great mix of tight and sweeping turns along with long and short straights, providing a great feel for how well the heavyweight coupe handles, brakes, and accelerates. Mind you, this is the same track on which the media has tested multiple Hellcat cars, and the new Charger Daytona performed comparably to the supercharged Hemi cars.

The adaptive dampers control body roll and weight transfer during transitions through tight turns and on the long, sweeping turns very well, considering the 5,800-pound curb weight. Due to the all-wheel-drive system, there was no oversteering issues when accelerating hard when coming out of the tight turns or when building speed through a sweeping turn, allowing the drivers to power out of the turns with plenty of confidence.

The all-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack includes a Drift/Donut Mode that provides optimal vehicle setup to support drifting and donuts.

When approaching the tight turns, even at higher speeds, the massive Brembo brakes made short work of bringing the new Charger down to lower speeds, making it easy to point the nose of the car where you wanted it to go.

Finally, the instant-on power application of the electric drive system allowed the new Charger to get out of turns and down the straightaways in a hurry, making this a great car for road course fun. However, for those buyers who don’t plan to do any road racing, those same characteristics make the new Charger Daytona Scat Pack a tremendous amount of fun to drive on a twisty, desolate road.

All-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack

The best thing about the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is that it doesn’t look like the rest of the vehicles in the battery electric vehicle segment. Most automakers have focused on making SUV-type vehicles with their BEV programs, making traditionally shaped cars a rarity in the electric community.

For those who are interested in the performance of a BEV without the typical appearance that is found in pretty much every other brand, the new Dodge Charger Daytona is the perfect answer. It rides great for the daily drive, it is very quick, it handles like a dream and the interior is gorgeous, comfortable, and packed with state-of-the-art tech.

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The all-new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack maintains Dodge’s throne as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car and delivers SRT levels of performance.