Ex-Dodge CEO Reveals Why The New SIXPACK Engine Isn’t A Slant-6

By Gary Gastelu |

Aug 30, 2024

Dodge is bringing back a legendary name for the upcoming Charger and not just the one on the car.

The model, which will be launched in late 2025 after the electric Charger Daytona that goes on sale this year, will be powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder the brand is calling the SIXPACK.

It’s a tip of the hat to the classic Mopar muscle car engines that were offered with three twin-barrel carburetors under the Six Pack name. But those were V8s, while the automaker’s historic straight-six passenger car engine was know as the Slant-6.

That name was literal because the motor was installed at a 30-degree angle to allow it to fit in a wide range of vehicles, including small cars. Dodge’s current Pentastar V6 has a 60-degree angle between the cylinder banks, so it’s effectively the same.

Former Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis recently brought the last Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicle that was built, which also happens to be the final 2023 Charger off of the assembly line, to “Jay Leno’s Garage” and they got to talking about the new straight-six.

The Charger’s hood vents feature the SIXPACK name.Credit: Dodge

Leno said he was looking forward to checking it out because he became a fan of the engine type when he worked at a BMW dealership in the 1970s.

“They had the big six-cylinders, very turbine-like,” he said.

The firing order of an inline-six-cylinders is more naturally balanced than that of a V6 or V8.

Leno asked Kuniskis why they weren’t installing the new motor on a slant again.

“Well, we could, we just didn’t … in the cars that we were going to put it in we didn’t need to,” Kuniskis said.

Versions of the engine, which is also known as the Hurricane, are already offered in the Jeep Wagoneer and Ram 1500, where there is plenty of room for it under the hood. The Charger is the only car model for which it has been announced.

Despite sharing most of its body with the Charger Daytona, the Charger has a pronounced power bulge in its hood and doesn’t feature the distinctive R-Wing front spoiler that the Charger Daytona has, which makes the front of the car look taller, but allows air to flow under it to improve its aerodynamic efficiency.

Dodge Charger Daytona R-Wing — **The Charger Daytona has a feature called the R-Wing.**Credit: Dodge

“We went with the straight-six because we knew there was only going to be a couple of cars that we would put it in and they had to have a pretty big hood,” Kuniskis said.

“We didn’t slant it like back in the day so it’s relatively tall and long, so it will fit in the new generation Charger and obviously it works perfectly in the new truck. It’s a fantastic truck engine.”

The Charger will be offered with 420 hp and 550 hp versions of the engine, but you can get them now without the rest of the car.

The Direct Connection parts catalog is selling them as HurriCrate motors called the Cat 1 and Cat 3 and for $10,495 and $13,745, respectively.