By the late 1960s and early 1970s, buyer's had a host of options to select from, and as a result the Dodge never lived up to the factory's marketing expectations. Nevertheless, the Challenger offered a wide variety of options catering to a wide audience. Bodystyle included a hardtop and convertible, both with a full-width grille opening, the familiar 'Coke-bottle' profile, and a low profile stance. In the back were two large, rectangular tail lights.

Buyers seeking comfort and luxury could select the Special Edition which added a padded vinyl roof with a small rear window, luxurious appointments, and special ornamentation. The high-performance version was the R/T (Road and Track) which had a 383-CID four-barrel V8, instrument panel Rallye cluster, electric clock, Rallye suspension with sway bar, upgraded drum brakes, and F70-14 fiberglass belted black sidewall tires. They also had R/T lettering and ornamentation, and longitudinal tape or bumblebee stripes. Sales proved lackluster, so Dodge would discontinue the R/T option on its remaining convertibles for 1971, making it a one-year-only production run.

The Challenger T/A option was available only on the hardtop and was introduced in early January to homologate the model for Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am racing. Power was from a 340 cubic-inch 'Six-Pak' with three two-barrel carburetors. It sold for $4,056 and 2,500 examples were planned, one or each dealer.

In March, Dodge began offering a lower-priced version of the Challenger called 'The Deputy' and had a base price of $2,725. It came with a 198 CID six-cylinder engine with a single-barrel carburetor. This was one of the nine possible engine combinations Dodge offered on the Challenger in its first year. Options included the wedge-powered 383- and 440 4-barrel cars, the 440 Six Pak, and the 426 Hemi. By the close of the year, just 12 examples of the 1970 Hemi Challenger R/T convertibles were built on the Hamtramck 'Dodge Main' assembly line, which constructed all the Hemi E-body models for the company. Of those 12, five buyers optioned the A833 18-spline 4-speed transmission as opposed to the TorqueFlite, and of those five, even fewer selected the Super Track Pak to the vehicle's options list. This meant the E74 Hemi and A34 Super Track Pak came with the 4.10-geared Dana 60 Sure Grip differential, cooling components, power front disc brakes, and extreme-duty suspension.

Chrysler built 1,543 'Street Hemi' engines for its Dodge and Plymouth lines this year, with 482 being installed in the Dodge models, including the Coronet, Charger, and Challenger. 137 were Challenger R/T hardtop models with four-speeds and 150 with TorqueFlites. An additional five R/T convertibles with four-speeds and four with TorqueFlites were also built. The Challenger R/T SE hardtop editions also received 60 Hemi engines, with 23 backed by a four-speed and 37 with a TorqueFlite. Of the 482 Hemi engines installed in Dodge vehicles for 1970, the Challenger received 356.

The 426 'Street Hemi' had hemispherical combustion chambers, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a 10.25:1 compression ratio, and delivered 425 horsepower at 5,000 RPM