Car news, 6 Mar ’24: Dodge Charger electric muscle car revealed, February car delivery records smashed, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Wednesday March 06th 2024. Notably in car news today: Dodge Charger Daytona electric muscle car revealed, and a record month of new car deliveries in February. 

Browse this issue:

• Dodge’s 500kW all-wheel-drive electric Charger Daytona muscle car revealed
• Australian car industry chalks up a record month in February 
• Jaguar axes petrol and diesel power prior to an all-electric relaunch 
• Subaru Crosstrek 2.0S reviewed

Dodge’s 500kW all-wheel-drive electric Charger Daytona muscle car revealed

• Dodge has revealed its “Next Gen Charger” overnight in what the US carmaker is calling the “world’s only electric muscle car”. 

• Available at launch in a pair of two-door coupe variants, the Charger Daytona lineup is strictly dual-motor all-wheel drive, touting 370kW in R/T trim and 500kW (and 850Nm) in its ultimate Scat Pack guise.

• Blending old and new tech, the 400-volt 100.5kWh (gross) battery architecture blends with a mechanical rear LSD and line locker (burnout) convention to yield performance claims of around 3.4sec for 0-100km/h and 11.5sec for the 0-400m sprint.  
  

• Range wise, Dodge claims peaks of 510km for the R/T and 418km for the Scat Pack, which will be initially offered in two-door form late 2024, followed by four-door models slated for early 2025. Stellantis Australia states that there’s no current plan for a local release. 

Australian car industry chalks up a record month in February 

• New car sales in February were up a whopping 20.9 percent when compared with February 2023, totalling 105,023 vehicles sold according to figures released by V-Facts.

• The top of the sales leaderboard saw perennial sharp-enders Ford Ranger pip Toyota Hilux, with the newly facelifted Tesla Model 3 landing as the third-best selling model overall.  

• A real sign of buying trends and improving industry supply was that hybrid vehicles showed a jump of 100.2 percent in sales, with a 70.4 percent improvement in sales of EVs, with fully-electrics accounting for 9.6 percent of total market sales.    

• While Toyota, Mazda and Ford sat in the top three podium spots respectively by sales volume, the surprise mover and shaker was Nissan, who enjoyed a remarkable 157.2 percent rise in sales compared with February 2023.

Jaguar axes petrol and diesel power prior to an all-electric relaunch 

• Jaguar is the latest carmaker to formally call time on internal combustion across its entire lineup in the transition to a fully-electric future.   
  

• It’s been widely reported that petrol and diesel powertrains, together with the Tata-owned company’s ICE models manufactured at the plant, will cease production from the Castle Bromwich plant in the UK in June.
  

• It’s expected that the current XF sedan as well as E-Pace and F-Pace SUVs will follow the F-Type in offering ‘final editions’ during 2024, with Jaguar promising ample ICE production until its EV reboot in 2025, which aims to reposition the brand upmarket to rival the likes of Rolls-Royce.  
  

• Come 2025, it’s been widely suggested that three key electric models, built off the forthcoming Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), will spearhead Jaguar’s new electric era, complete with direct rivals for Porsche Taycan and Bentley Bentayga.

Subaru Crosstrek 2.0S reviewed

• Chasing Cars journalist Zak Adkins gives his final assessment after a six-month, 8000-kilometre long-term test of the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0S, a car he found likable to live with if far from flawless.

• Zak explains that two key highlights include the comfort of its on-road manner blended with good integration of its broad safety suite, and great value for money given the features and all-terrain capabilities. 

• Not so glowing in review is Zak’s criticism of the raspy and underpowered engine mated to the humdrum CVT transmission, often making for a slow and frustrated drive.
  

• Zak recommends the high-grade S over its lower-grade stablemates for value, particularly for buyers after a comfy urban runabout, or those who want a measured blend of on- and off-road-ability as a decent multi-surface all-rounder.
  

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Thursday 7th March at 4.30pm Sydney time.