What Does SRT Mean on a Dodge Charger (Hellcat, Price)


What Does SRT Mean on a Dodge Charger

There are several trim levels available for the Charger, including the SXT, GT, R/T, and a few different SRT models. When buying any new car, you almost always have multiple options to choose from in terms of available trim levels, and the Dodge Charger is no exception. There

So, what does SRT mean on a Dodge Charger? SRT stands for “Street and Racing Technology”, and the SRT designation is used only for the high-performance versions of the Dodge Charger. However, there are a couple of different models in the Charger lineup that are badged as SRTs and these models are the fastest and most powerful versions of the Charger that Dodge makes.

Today, we’ll be sharing with you everything you need to know about the Charger SRT and explain what exactly you get with this top-of-the-line trim level.

Dodge Charger Overview

Let’s first talk a little about what the Dodge Charger is about in general before we start getting into the fine details of the SRT versions.

The Charger was first released in 1966, and it has been in production off and on since then. The Charger is currently in its seventh generation and is built on Chrysler’s LD platform, which also serves as the basis for the Chrysler 300.

The Charger has evolved considerably over the years; it began its life as a personal luxury car, but soon morphed into the classic muscle car that most of us are familiar with.

During the Malaise Era, however, the Charger once again because a personal luxury car and then subsequently a subcompact hatchback with front-wheel drive.

These days, the Charger is generally sold as a family sedan, but performance-oriented versions of the Charger are available in the R/T and SRT trim levels.

The high-performance versions of the Charger are pretty competent sports cars, to say the least; the Charger SRT Hellcat is one of the fastest sedans in the world.

Read also: What Does SXT Mean on a Dodge Charger? (SXT vs RT vs GT)

Dodge Charger SRT Features

It’s important to clarify that Dodge produces two different Charger models that fall under the SRT banner.

The first is the Charger SRT 392, and the second is the Charger SRT Hellcat.

In the rest of this article, we’ll take a look at what each of these SRT models has to offer and explain the differences between each of them.

Powertrain Options

Both the SRT 392 and the SRT Hellcat come with a V8 as their standard (and only) engine option. They also both come with the same transmission (the 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic) and both are only available in rear-wheel drive.

Here is where the powertrain similarities stop, however. For one, the SRT 392 has a larger engine than the SRT Hellcat (6.4 liters versus 6.2 liters).

This is where the SRT 392 derives its name from since 6.4 liters equates to 392 cubic inches.

Despite the fact that the SRT 392 has the larger engine, the SRT Hellcat is the more powerful version of the Charger by far.

While these two engines are fairly similar in terms of their overall construction, the Hellcat engine is tuned for much greater performance compared to the 392.

The engine in the SRT Hellcat is also supercharged, while the engine in the SRT 392 is naturally aspirated.

The SRT Hellcat puts out a massive 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, while the SRT 392 produces a lesser (but still very respectable) 485 hp and 475 lb-ft.

These power figures are enough to get the SRT Hellcat from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, and the SRT 392 in 4.5 seconds. Of course, all this performance comes at the cost of fuel economy, as expected of a car with a large, performance-tuned V8.

City mileage figures are 18 mpg (15.9 L/100 km) for the SRT 392 and 15 mpg (19 L/100 km) for the SRT Hellcat, and highway mileage figures are 29 mpg (9.6 L/100 km) for the SRT 392 and 25 mpg (11.5 L/100 km) for the SRT Hellcat.

While these fuel economy figures are objectively not that great, they’re actually fairly impressive when you consider the size of the engines and how much power they make. 

The engine in the SRT 392 also comes with MDS (multi-displacement system) technology. Also known as cylinder deactivation, this technology detects when the car is moving at highway speeds and automatically shuts off half of the cylinders to save fuel.

Exterior Styling Options

You have a good amount of choice when it comes to customizing your Charger’s appearance, especially in the case of the SRT 392.

The most prominent exterior styling option is the “Widebody” package, which, as the name implies, adds large flared fenders to accommodate wider tires.

In previous years, the SRT Hellcat was also available in both regular and widebody versions, but since 2020 only the widebody version has been available.

Both the SRT 392 and the SRT Hellcat have the same exterior color options available. There are fourteen different colors to choose from, half of which are standard colors and are included in the initial price of the vehicle.

You also get multiple wheel styles to choose from; the SRT 392 offers three different styles while the SRT Hellcat offers four. All wheel sizes are 20″, however. 

With both versions of the Charger, you also have the option of speccing a black-painted roof if you wish. 

Interior Styling Options

The interiors in both the SRT 392 and the SRT Hellcat can be customized to suit your tastes. For starters, you have three different interior color combinations for each of these two trim levels.

The SRT 392 can be had with black seats with either black, ruby, or caramel inserts, while the SRT Hellcat’s seats can be had in three different colors entirely; black, red, and sepia with silver stitching.

Both the SRT 392 and the SRT Hellcat are available with the optional carbon; suede interior package, which adds a suede headliner and carbon fiber accents to the interior.

The SRT 392 is available with cloth or leather seats, while the SRT Hellcat only comes with leather seating.

Equipment Options

When it comes to equipment options, the SRT Hellcat is actually fairly sparse compared to the SRT 392.

This may be because Dodge intends the Hellcat to be more of a focused performance car than the 392, so to that end, it’s likely that they’ve excluded any features that wouldn’t be necessary for such a car.

Having said that, the SRT Hellcat comes standard with pretty much everything you’d expect from a modern sports car, and you have the option of adding plenty of additional features as well like GPS navigation and an improved sound system.

It also comes standard with some quality of life features that are optional on other Charger models, such as ventilated seats.

The SRT 392, on the other hand, has a ton of option packages that add many new features. Chief among these is the “Daytona Edition” package, which adds a bunch of new trim and equipment, including new badges, better seats, new tires, an upgraded air intake system, heated rear seats, and more besides.

The SRT 392 is also available with the “Dynamics” package, which includes active damping suspension, improved brakes, larger wheels, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. 

Considering the type of options available for the SRT 392, it’s clear that Dodge intends this car to be an overall more comfortable and luxurious driving experience than the SRT Hellcat; the 392 is almost more of a grand tourer than a full-fledged sports car.

If a full-fledged sports can is what you’re looking for, however, you could certainly do a lot worse than the SRT Hellcat. 


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References

https://www.dodge.ca/en/charger/models

Jeff

Jeff is an automotive technician, technical writer, and Managing Editor. He has held a lifelong passion for cars, with a particular interest in cars like the Buick Reatta. Jeff has been creating written and video content about transportation, automotive, electric cars, future vehicles as well as new, used for more than 18 years. Jeff is based in Boulder, Colorado.

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