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Wait, isn’t the new Charger AWD only?

Sort of. All-wheel drive is standard across the entire 2026 Dodge Charger lineup, from the gas R/T up to the Scat Pack, and on the electric Charger Daytona too. That’s a big change, and it’s a smart one for anyone dealing with Ohio winters — power to all four wheels means far more confidence in rain, snow, and slush than the old rear-drive cars ever had. That standard-AWD approach runs through the whole range, too — whether you’re in the two-door coupe or the four-door sedan, and whether you went with the gas SIXPACK or the battery-powered Daytona.

But Dodge knows its audience. Rather than lock you into AWD, the engineers built in a rear-wheel-drive mode that sends every bit of torque to the back wheels. In normal driving the system is already rear-biased, so it feels like a muscle car most of the time. When you want the real thing, you flip it to RWD and the front axle checks out entirely.

How to switch to RWD (the actual steps)

Here’s the good news: there’s no menu-diving or dealer visit required. On the R/T and Scat Pack, it’s a two-step move you can do without taking your hands off the wheel.

1. Put the car in Sport mode. You can cycle drive modes right from the steering-wheel controls, so you don’t have to reach for the touchscreen.
2. Press the RWD button. That’s it. The Charger routes 100% of its power to the rear wheels, and you’re in business.

From there you’re free to rip a burnout, rotate the car through a corner, or just enjoy the way a proper rear-drive Charger moves. Want AWD back? Switch out of the mode and all four wheels are pulling again. It’s a toggle, not a commitment, which is exactly the point.

What’s happening under the car

The 2026 Dodge Charger handles this two different ways depending on what’s under the hood.

The gas SIXPACK cars — the R/T with 420 horsepower and the Scat Pack with 550 — run a twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six through an eight-speed automatic. Power gets split front-to-rear by a multi-disc wet clutch, and there’s even a front-axle disconnect that drops the front wheels out of the equation on the highway to save fuel. Most of the time the clutch is already sending the majority of the power rearward, which is why the Charger feels like a muscle car in everyday driving — RWD mode just takes that to its logical extreme and hands the rear tires everything. The hand-off happens smoothly enough that you can flip between modes in a single drive without any drama.

The electric Charger Daytona does it with hardware instead of a clutch. It uses separate front and rear electric drive modules, so RWD mode just powers the rear unit and lets the front one idle. The Daytona also throws in Drift and Donut modes, Line Lock, Launch Control, and a PowerShot button worth an extra 40 horsepower for ten seconds — a lot of toys for an EV.

The rest of the drive modes

RWD is one setting in a bigger menu, and knowing the others helps you get the most out of the car. Auto is your everyday default: AWD, rear-biased, drama-free. Sport sharpens things up and pushes roughly 70% of the power rearward. Wet/Snow splits torque evenly, 50/50, for maximum grip when the roads turn nasty. Scat Pack models add a Track mode built for smooth, dry surfaces, and there’s a Custom setting that lets you dial in propulsion, traction, steering weight, and even paddle-shifter behavior to taste. Dodge breaks all of this down on the official 2026 Charger technology page if you want the full rundown.

When to use RWD — and when to leave it alone

Rear-wheel-drive mode is a blast, but it changes how the car behaves, so pick your moments. Save it for dry pavement and, if you’re doing burnouts or donuts, a closed course or empty lot where you’re not putting anyone at risk. The Scat Pack’s standard Line Lock will hold the front brakes so you can warm and clean the rear tires before a launch, and Performance Pages will show you the g-forces and times if you want the data.

For daily driving — especially an Ohio February — leave it in Auto or Wet/Snow and let AWD do its thing. The traction and stability systems still watch for wheel slip in RWD, but sending all the power rearward on a slick road is a good way to find trouble. Use the mode for fun, not for the commute, and the 2026 Dodge Charger gives you the best of both worlds: a weatherproof daily that turns into a hooligan on demand.

Ready to try it for yourself?

The switchable AWD-to-RWD setup is one of the coolest tricks on the 2026 Dodge Charger, and it’s the kind of thing that makes a lot more sense once you feel it from the driver’s seat. If you’re deciding between the gas SIXPACK and the electric Daytona, you can browse the current Dodge Charger inventory and see what’s on the lot. And if you’re anywhere around Piqua or Dayton, the team at Sherry Chrysler has been helping Ohio drivers find the right Dodge since 1968 — stop in, take one out, and click that RWD button yourself.