We grill Head of Dodge, Matt McAlear, for answers and even ask him whether V-8s are InEVitable.
Dodge has new muscle car hitting dealerships right now—the big, beautiful, and ball-bearing smooth Charger Daytona. And as you already know from our review, it’s stunning to look at, way quicker than you’d expect, and silent as a tomb.
But why is it so freakin’ heavy? How can you have up to 670 horsepower but no burnouts? And will it eventually come with a V-8? We know one will fit, and there have been some big changes at Stellantis, along with a new administration seemingly hell-bent on rolling back regulations across the auto industry. We ask all of these questions and more to the guy who should have all of the answers, Matt McAlear, head of Dodge.
McAlear first started at the company in 2000, and was named Dodge brand CEO in June of 2024. His transition into the chief executive role could not have come at a more tumultuous time. First order of business: launch the successor to the extremely popular Charger and Challenger muscle car brothers, not only without a V-8, but leading with an EV powertrain and, coming later this year, a new inline-6 engine family. While he was doing that, McAlear’s big boss at Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, left in early January after ongoing pressure from the company’s board of directors. This apparently opened the door for the triumphant return of Tim Kuniskis, McAlear’s mentor, to lead Ram trucks. One of the first questions we asked Kuniskis in a recent interview was whether he plans to bring a V-8 back to Ram trucks? So you know we had to lob that one over to McAlear as well.
We then challenged McAlear on the Daytona’s controversial Fratzonic exhaust before getting the bigger picture on Dodge’s current product line, which has shrunken down to one muscle car, an aging (but still V-8 powered) Durango SUV, and the Hornet compact SUV, which has struggled to find its footing in a super competitive segment. What will McAlear do to keep Durango fresh and Hornet moving? Find out on this episode.
Yes, we also asked him about what future vehicles and variants he envisions bringing to market. And of course, we had to know how he sees the near term American auto industry, and the state of EVs in particular, given the return of President Trump.
It you were wondering how on earth Dodge plans to follow things up after years of rolling out Hellcats, Redeyes, and Last Calls, this conversation with the head Dodge bro is for you. Check it out right here, or on our YouTube channel. If audio is your thing, you can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like it, please tell your friends, share us on social media, like the video, and don’t forget to give us a five-star review.
