The new Dodge Charger equipped with the 550-horsepower Sixpack engine has earned one of the most prestigious honors in the American automotive world: TopGear.com has named it Car of the Year at the 2026 US Car Awards. According to the editorial team of the iconic media brand, Stellantis’s muscle car is not just an evolution but “a revelation,” capable of reviving the true spirit of American performance with a level of versatility that impressed even the toughest judges.
The decision came after an extremely demanding test on the famous Tail of the Dragon, in the Great Smoky Mountains, 318 curves in just 11 miles, a route that shows no mercy. It was there that the Charger Scat Pack revealed its full character, shifting effortlessly from a stable, precise grand tourer to a lively, controllable drift machine, confirming a dynamic composure that set it apart.
Dodge Charger Sixpack named TopGear.com’s 2026 U.S. Car of the Year
“The new Charger Sixpack is a revelation: flexible enough to do anything, from being a solid, stable everyday car to a straight-line drift toy, and everything in between,” commented Jack Rix, Top Gear’s editor-in-chief, capturing the model’s surprising duality.
Matt McAlear, CEO of Dodge, welcomed the award as confirmation of the brand’s direction. “This prestigious recognition from Top Gear proves that the next-generation Dodge Charger, with its 550-horsepower gasoline Sixpack twin-turbo engine, is redefining muscle-car performance. With all-wheel drive when needed and rear-wheel drive when desired, paired with its hidden-rack design, the Sixpack-powered Charger marks the next innovative step in the model’s celebrated sixty-year tradition.” McAlear also noted that the debut of the new Charger is only the beginning of a series of launches that will further expand the lineup.
The new Sixpack-powered Dodge Charger, already the recipient of several awards in recent months, is now available at U.S. dealerships. With this latest achievement, the brand continues to strengthen its multi-energy identity without sacrificing the power and uncompromising character that have made its muscle car a true icon.
