The six-speed manual has been dropped from the 2022 Dodge Challenger Hellcat at least temporarily while it awaits a powertrain calibration update that will allow it to be sold again, Road & Track reports. The combination has been unavailable to order since November 2021, Stellantis said.
Dodge didn’t give R&T much of an explanation regarding the combo’s absence, saying only that a revised calibration that would allow the configuration to be sold is coming. When is anybody’s guess. In the meantime, we’re starting to wonder just how committed Stellantis is to offering its V8s to buyers who aren’t opting for half-ton pickups or larger. The inline-six that is slated to replace the 5.7-liter Hemi variant in at least some applications is expected to debut soon.
While the 5.7-liter Hemi has surely more than paid for itself at this point, it’s likely that Stellantis is limiting availability only to its most profitable models, which help offset the CAFE costs associated with lower fleet mileage. And while Stellantis made quite a bit of noise in recent years about its customers wanting V8s, options for such have become thinner on the ground. The new Grand Cherokee is ostensibly offered with the V8 on its three top trims — Trailhawk, Overland and Summit — but only the last of those can be found anywhere in U.S. inventory with a Hemi under the hood. Trailhawk and Overland V8s simply do not exist. You don’t have to take our word for it; you can look for yourself.
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