Chrysler unveils 2009 Challenger
Chrysler unveils 2009 Challenger
By DEE-ANN DURBIN
The 2008 Dodge Challenger won't be in showrooms until May, but Chrysler LLC is already taking the wraps off the 2009 version at this week's New York International Auto Show.
Only one model of the updated pony car -- the SRT8 -- is available in 2008, but the 2009 Dodge Challenger will come in three versions: the SRT8, SE and R/T. All will go on sale this fall.
The 2009 SRT8 has the same 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine with 425 horsepower as the 2008 SRT8. The SE has a 3.5-liter V-6 with 250 horsepower, while the R/T has a new-generation 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with 370 horsepower. The 5.7-liter HEMI, which first was introduced in the 2003 Dodge Ram, has been updated to get 5 percent better fuel economy and 9 percent more horsepower, Chrysler says.
The 2009 Challenger will have the new option of a manual transmission for the SRT8 and R/T models. It also will come in a broader range of colors than the 2008 version, which comes in orange, silver or black. New colors for 2009 include red, blue, gray and white.
Pricing for the 2009 Challenger hasn't been released, but the 2008 version starts at $37,995.
The Challenger has the long hood, wide stance and racing stripes of the original pony car, which was introduced in the fall of 1969 as a 1970 model but was phased out five model years later as new government emissions regulations cracked down on gas guzzlers.
It remains to be seen how well the new version will do in an era of high fuel prices and tightening federal fuel economy rules. The 2009 Challenger SE gets 18 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway, while the R/T gets slightly less in the city. Chrysler hasn't released mileage figures for the 2009 SRT8, but the 2008 version gets an estimated 13 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway.
Chrysler spokeswoman Kathy Graham said the company already has gotten more than 10,000 orders for the 2008 Challenger.
The New York show opens to the public Friday after two days of media previews.
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