Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
l’LL start this motoring review with a simple statement: I’m a Dodge Charger fan. I have been for eight years and nothing has changed … apart from driving away an updated version earlier this year which I’m absolutely ecstatic about.
Unless the marque’s suddenly gone insane, its 2015 offering could surely do little wrong. I’m happy to report it’s still as solid as a rock, although I’m a little green with envy over the subtle changes made since my 2014 model hit the highway.
The most notable change is the gearstick. It’s much better-looking than mine (grrrr) and even feels better to the touch.
In a shrinking segment, the Charger continues to offer traditional large-sedan characteristics alongside modern technology. Unlike a lot of its full-size competitors, the Charger isn’t just available as a family hauler, but in a number of higher performance configurations as well.
As many commentators have suggested, this gives the car a little ‘more clout and appeal in a well-executed package’.
To ensure I’ve not been blinded by love, I checked out a few website reviews and autoguide.com’s verdict about summed up the general feeling by describing it as ‘the perfect big car for anyone who needs practicality and economy, but want the image of performance’.
“There’s still a certain solid feel to Charger that other full-size sedans lack,” it reports. “There is no detectable chassis flex and rebound is kept in check. Rough pavement is still noticeable from the cabin, but overall the ride is reasonably smooth. The suspension leaves the car feeling floaty over big bumps, but the Dodge has the comfort level for the full-size family sedan market nailed.’
Make no mistakes, it’s also a muscle car and the sort of machine you feel safe in when you have to cope with some of the menaces on the roads of Bahrain, although it must be acknowledged that things appear to have settled down slightly since the introduction of the threat of hefty fines for those imbecilic speeding lane-hoppers.
Under the hood of my test drive car was Chrysler’s ubiquitous 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine that normally makes 295 brake horsepower. In all forms the 2015 Charger comes with an impressive TorqueFlite eight-speed auto transmission.
It’s a smaller engine than my current mighty Hemi 5.7L mean-machine but I was pleasantly impressed by the test car’s powerful performance and slick drive-ability. This was no slouch.
The Uconnect touch screen dominates the centre stack and all Chargers now come standard with keyless enter and go that features push-button ignition. Other pluses are parking sensors and Bluetooth connect-ability.
The price of the car tested was a competitive BD11,999.
For further details contact Behbehani Brothers on17459955 or visit the showroom in Sitra.
