Dodge Infuses Sinister Styling into Special-edition 2013 Dodge Blacktop Packages

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  

• The sinister style of the Dodge Blacktop models deliver customers exclusive customized design with an exhilarating driving experience and exceptional value
• One-of-a-kind exterior appointments, including unique dark wheels, grille, headlights, rear spoiler and more give Dodge Blacktop models eye-catching appeal while still offering customers great value
• Dodge Avenger – America's most affordable and powerful mid-size Car - gets more menacing and more equipment with the Blacktop package, available for orders now for just $595 MSRP
• Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop delivers world-class performance, handling and "blacked out" style wrapped in iconic American muscle
• Dodge Charger Blacktop with its menacing styling is now available on both the best-in-class 300 hp V6 with best-in-class 31 highway miles per gallon (mpg) and the 370 hp HEMI® V8 R/T  

Halloween may be over, but highways and parking lots across America are about to get more sinister as the Dodge brand expands its lineup of Blacktop special editions. New for the 2013 model year, Dodge will include the Avenger, Challenger R/T and Charger R/T to its Blacktop lineup.

Built to give customers a sporty, distinct look at a great value, the Dodge Blacktop vehicles add larger, unique Gloss Black wheels, select exterior paint colors, Gloss Black-painted "split-crosshair" grilles with Gloss Black matching grille surround, darkened headlamp bezels and body-color spoilers, as well as some unique Blacktop interior touches.

"The Blacktop package on the Dodge Charger has proven to be a resounding success by combining a customized one-of-a-kind appearance with great value - a trademark of the Dodge Brand," said Reid Bigland, President and CEO - Dodge Brand. "Now we're expanding this successful formula to the Avenger, Challenger and Charger R/T, making great style and performance even more accessible, starting at just $595."

Dodge Charger SXT Blacktop is presently available, while production for all the Avenger, Charger R/T and Challenger R/T Blacktop packages will start in December of 2012 as 2013 model year vehicles.

Dodge Avenger Blacktop
America's most affordable and powerful mid-size sedan, the Dodge Avenger, gets a menacing new look and a distinct set of new features with the Blacktop package, which also offers incredible value with a U.S. MSRP of just $595.

Available in Black, Redline Red 2, Bright White, Tungsten Metallic and Billet Silver Metallic, the 2013 Dodge Avenger Blacktop is based on the 2013 Dodge Avenger SXT model and adds standard 18-inch Gloss Black aluminum wheels with Gloss Black center caps, Gloss Black front grille, dark-tinted headlamp bezels and a body-color rear spoiler.

Additional standard features on the Avenger with the Blacktop package include: a six-speed automatic transmission with Auto Stick that delivers up to 31 mpg, automatic headlamps, projector fog lamps, eight-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, six speakers, automatic temperature control, body-color heated exterior mirrors, SiriusXM Radio, Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC), four-wheel disc anti-lock (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), six airbags and much more.

For an added dose of luxury with the customized black appearance, Avenger Blacktop offers a premium leather interior with heated front seats for only $400 MSRP, making Avenger the most affordable mid-size car with leather in the United States.

Available optional equipment includes: the 3.6-liter variable-valve timing Pentastar V-6 engine, which produces a best-in-class 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque while providing impressive V-6 highway fuel economy of 29 miles per gallon (mpg), power sunroof, premium audio system and 6.5-inch touch screen with Navigation.

The 2013 Dodge Avenger offers great value with loads of standard features that customers appreciate and a starting U.S. MSRP of only $18,995. The Dodge Avenger was named an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) "Top Safety Pick" in 2012, the fourth consecutive year the Avenger has been named a "Top Safety Pick."

An athletic yet refined exterior, a high-quality, well-crafted interior, a spirited driving experience, fuel economy of up to 31 mpg highway and a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty make the 2013 Dodge Avenger the smart buy for sedan buyers, which explains why Avenger has set sales records for six of the past seven months.

Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop
The 2013 Dodge Challenger delivers exactly what muscle car enthusiasts want — a powerful and efficient engine lineup, iconic muscle-car design and performance suspension designed for maximum grip — all executed with quality and precision.

The new 2013 Challenger R/T Blacktop, available on the Challenger R/T – America's most affordable V8 muscle car at just $29,995 U.S. MSRP – and R/T Plus, adds sinister style to the Dodge brand's iconic muscle car. Available in Pitch Black, Granite Crystal or Billet Silver Metallic, the Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop model includes Gloss Black 20-inch Aluminum Wheels with Gloss Black center caps, Gloss Black grille surround, Gloss Black fuel door and a new matte graphite body stripe with red edge accents running from the front to rear fascia, creating a truly one-of-a-kind appearance

For added performance, the Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop is equipped with the Super Track Pak, which includes a high-performance-steering gear, brake linings, and monotube-shock absorbers, P245/45R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 Super Car three-season tires and three-mode ESC with "full off" mode. All-Season tires are available at no extra charge.

The Dodge Challenger Blacktop package is available for a US MSRP of only $1,995.

The Challenger R/T is designed for the performance enthusiast. It includes the legendary 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine with cold-air induction delivering up to 375 horsepower, Tremec six-speed manual transmission (or available 5-speed automatic), performance-tuned suspension, performance-disc brakes, performance-tuned steering calibration, Uconnect Voice Command with Bluetooth, console-mounted USB port with iPod control and auxiliary audio input jack, SiriusXM Radio, automatic headlamps, LED-illuminated instrument cluster with 160-mph primary speedometer, instrument panel with mini-carbon bezel, fog lamps, "R/T" grille badge, "HEMI" hood badges and rear body-color deck-lid spoiler.

The Challenger R/T Plus is for drivers who want even more premium refinement and details in their muscle car. It adds premium Nappa leather seating in Dark Slate Gray or Radar Red, heated front seats, six Boston Acoustics premium speakers with 276-Watt amplifier, ParkSense rear park assist, power heated mirrors, EVIC with temperature gauge, location specific tire-pressure monitoring and compass, vehicle security alarm, and HomeLink universal transceiver. Remote start is included with the five-speed automatic transmission.

Challenger has set monthly or all-time sales records in six of the past nine months.

Dodge Charger R/T Blacktop
Dodge introduced the very first Blacktop model in 2012 model year based upon the Charger V6. For the 2013 model year, Dodge is building on the success of the Charger Blacktop package available with the 300 hp, 31 mpg Charger SXT and SXT Plus models, by introducing the Blacktop package with the 370 hp HEMI V8 Charger R/T and R/T Plus – America's most affordable V8 sedan.

Available in Pitch Black, Billet Metallic, Granite Crystal, Bright White, Redline Red Tri-coat and Phantom Black Tri-coat, the Dodge Charger R/T Blacktop model adds Gloss Black 20-inch aluminum wheels, Gloss Black center caps, Gloss Black front grille, body-color rear spoiler, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, Sport Mode, 3.06 rear axle and Beats Audio, which includes 10 speakers with subwoofer and 552-Watt amplifier. The Blacktop package is available for only $1,795 U.S. MSRP.

With its legendary 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, performance-tuned suspension with larger performance disc brakes and standard LED racetrack lighting, dual exhaust and Uconnect 8.4-inch touchscreen, the Dodge Charger R/T is designed for the customer who wants the intoxicating exhaust note and low-end torque that only a V8 can provide, 0-60 mph in the low 5-second range, rail-like handling and state-of-the-art technology. And with a U.S. MSRP starting at just $29,995, the Charger R/T is the most affordable V-8 sedan in America. The R/T features 370 track-tearing horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque, four-cylinder mode Fuel Saver Technology and a proven five-speed automatic transmission with Auto Stick that delivers up to 25 mpg highway.

For customers who want added curb appeal with interior comfort, convenience and technology features, the Dodge Charger R/T Plus model adds on to the Charger R/T's standard equipment list with premium Nappa leather seating, heated first- and second-row seats, 12-way power front-passenger seat with four-way power lumbar, heated/cooled cup holders, vehicle security alarm, LED-illuminated, front-row overhead lighting and LED-illuminated footwells.

About the Dodge Brand:
For nearly 100 years, Dodge has defined passionate and innovative vehicles that stand apart in performance and in style. Building upon its rich heritage of muscle cars, racing technology and ingenious engineering, Dodge offers a full-line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs built for top performance – from power off the line and handling in the corners, to high-quality vehicles that deliver unmatched versatility and excellent fuel efficiency. Only Dodge offers such innovative functionality combined with class-leading performance, exceptional value and distinctive design. With the all-new 41 mpg 2013 Dodge Dart, the all-new Dodge Charger paired with the ZF eight-speed transmission that achieves a class-leading 31 miles per gallon on the highway, the new Durango and the significantly revamped Grand Caravan – inventor of the minivan – Journey, Avenger and iconic Challenger, Dodge now has one of the youngest dealer showrooms in the United States.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC