By the time the 2019 model year came around, the Challenger had been in production for over ten years. And while there was a significant update in 2015 which refreshed the model lineup significantly, the Hellcat in particular was up for another one four years later. The update wasn’t that visually drastic, but since the Hellcat wasn’t losing any attention as the years went by, it deserved some advancements. Some of the major changes included new software features which helped it put the power down more efficiently, in addition to a bit more power. As far as exterior goes, a new hood and a new set of wheels are the only things making it distinguishable from older models. That said, the new hood is significantly different from the old one and much more aggressive. Interestingly, the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat was noticeably cheaper than the earlier models year, and almost matched the price of the initial 2015 model year Hellcat. But before we go into more detail on just how much better the 2019 Hellcat is than the earlier models and how the new discount reflects on used prices today, we invite you to check out the ones currently for sale here at Exotic Car Trader.
From what we have seen in the past few decades looking at the automotive world, is that while people certainly appreciate innovation, evolution is what feels much more natural and has a deeper impact. That’s part of the reason why the Porsche 911 is so successful, and why retro styling is so popular in recent decades with new cars popping up almost every year. Of course, the Challenger is one of those and while its competitors take more of an innovation path, the Challenger, especially the Hellcat with its enormous power and little refinement, remained much more true to the evolution path. That’s what helped Dodge sell over 2,000,000 Challengers despite the competition outperforming it left and right, and over 40,000 Hellcats. It also helped that Dodge never gave up on the model and gave it nice updates fairly frequently, one of which came in 2018 and then another with the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat. The latter was a much more substantial one and it even more styling cues found on original Dodge muscle cars, but the 2018 update also brought some interesting details we will mention shortly.
The 2015 update made all Challenger interiors much more bespoke than before with a new dashboard design, center console, gauge cluster and steering wheel. But the Hellcat takes things even further with a retro style gauge cluster featuring a massive 7 inch display in the middle which has over 100 different configurations. Then there is the main 8.4 inch infotainment screen used not only for navigation and radio but also for all the driving modes and different drivetrain live data monitoring. There are so many options available that one could spend hours playing around with them. As for the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat, it didn’t see any innovations inside apart from new performance driver aids. Those include a new line lock function, launch assist which prevents wheel hop, and the launch control hold time was increased from five to ten seconds. Still, the interior didn’t need much changing as it was already very good looking plus it had a ton of customization options including leather, alcantara and cloth seats in numerous different colors. The 2015 update also brought much higher quality materials putting the Hellcat almost on par with some of its European competition. Also, the red and black keys were still standard which is one of the most interesting features of a Hellcat and a good demonstration of the massive power it has.
The Hellcat never had a friendly face but the 2019 Challenge SRT Hellcat becomes even meaner thanks to a new hood. As of 2019, the Hellcat gets a dual snorkel hood which looks much more aggressive than the old one featuring a single intake. The new hood also adds more balance to the design as the Hellcat has a wide stance to begin with. Dual hood intakes are also a nice throwback to the 1970 Dodge Dart and the 1971 Dodge Demon, two of the most famous muscle cars from that era. New Brass Monkey wheels with double five spokes looks much sportier and more similar to those found on the Widebody. They also reveal those giant Brembo brakes much better, further adding to the racing aesthetic. The 2019 model year also includes the 2018 update which brought new Hellcat logo badges all around and deeper headlight intakes which are fully illuminated and also feature a transparent Hellcat logo. Overall, the Hellcat never looked as aggressive as it did after the 2019 model year.
The main highlight of a Hellcat is its power output which even today rivals the most expensive supercars on the market. With that in mind, the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat gets even more of it, some 10 horsepower to be exact. That gives it a total of 717 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque, a 6 lb-ft increase over the earlier models. That said, the extra power doesn’t make it any faster, at least not according to the official figures from Dodge. The 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat still accelerates from zero to 60 in 3.6 seconds. The top speed is also the same at 199 mph, some 4 mph higher than the Widebody and 4 mph lower than the Redeye. These figures are more than impressive considering that the Hellcat is rear wheel drive, weighs 4,450 lbs, and is essentially as aerodynamic as a brick. The brakes remained the same and are 15.4 inches up front with four piston calipers while the adjustable Bilstein dampers are still some of the best out there even today.
Even though the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat had an MSRP of $61,745, that’s $5,500 lower than the 2018 model despite all the improvements, that discount isn’t reflected on the used market prices. A used 2019 Hellcat costs anywhere between $45,000 and $60,000 in 2024. As a matter of fact, they are on average 10% more expensive than the 2018 models. It’s also possible to find examples that cost under $45,000, but those will have over 50,000 miles on them.
All the updates really do add up on the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat and make it much more desirable than the earlier models as is reflected on the used market prices. The extra power, new driver aids, and more attractive exterior make the 2019 model year one of the most advanced and modern looking ones. With that in mind, if you are looking to buy a 2019 Hellcat or any other muscle car, classic or luxury vehicle, choosing Exotic Car Trader for that purpose makes things much more convenient and safer. That’s largely thanks to Exotic Car Trader’s escrow protection, delivery, first inspection and the fact that you can finalize the buying process online. The same applies if you are looking to sell a car through Exotic Car Trader, only in that case it becomes even more convenient.
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