We’ve known, or at least assumed, it was coming for the better part of two years—the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. Given the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s place in the world, it was only a matter of time before Fiat-Chrysler stuffed its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 under the three-row SUV’s massive hood. Now it’s finally here with a glorious 710 horsepower, 3.5-second zero to 60, and brakes strong enough to stop a freight train in its tracks.
Much like the other Hellcats in SRT’s ever-expanding lineup, the top-tier Durango variant is the most powerful vehicle of its kind. Its 2.4-liter supercharger cranks output up to supercar levels, with a mountainous 645 pound-feet of torque to complement that ridiculous horsepower figure. Twist is sent to all four wheels via a TorqueFlight eight-speed automatic, which shifts quick enough to help manage an NHRA-certified quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds.
It wouldn’t be a true muscle machine without a gnarly exhaust, and that’s why they’ve installed a 260-millimeter X-pipe—the largest on any SRT vehicle.
Stopping this high-speed heavy-hauler are six-piston, two-piece Brembo brakes on the front and four-piston Brembos at the rear. The Durango has always been an impressive handler thanks to its 50/50 weight distribution and now, it’ll have the brakes to match. You won’t even have to tick an options box to get this equipment as it comes standard on the fastest Durango ever.
The Durango SRT Hellcat is perhaps the only SUV with official aerodynamic specs being measured at 180 miles per hour—a number usually reserved for cars that seat two or weigh half as much. Per SRT, it’s an increase of over 400 percent versus the standard Durango, totaling 140 pounds at 180 mph.
Not to worry, because this SUV can still tow an impressive 8,700 pounds. Not too shabby for a rig that has more than enough seats for the average American family.
Exterior design elements clearly prove to passersby that the Durango SRT Hellcat is more than a run-of-the-mill people-hauler. Its front-end was purposely designed to look like a pouncing big cat while also incorporating the lines of its Charger Hellcat Widebody sibling. LED high and low headlamps look even more menacing at nighttime, while LED daytime running lights, a functional splitter and rear spoiler are obvious cues when the sun’s out.
Premium materials make up the interior wardrobe, like Nappa leather with pronounced stitching throughout. It’s meant to capitalize on the occasion of the 2021 model year being the only planned production run of the Durango SRT Hellcat. Even the infotainment system has been upgraded to run FCA’s new Uconnect 5, an OS that allows you to fiddle with the air conditioning as well as the driving mode from the available 10.1-inch touchscreen mounted on the center stack.
Connected tech enables over-the-air firmware updates and provides a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for you and yours to use on the go. Second-row passengers can also enjoy the available dual 9-inch screens, one on each front seatback, that boast Blu-ray video capability.
These are just the intangibles on an SUV that’s meant to be the most ridiculous on the market. It delivers Lamborghini Urus-beating power while costing a fraction of the Italian, even though we don’t know the exact price yet, but it’ll surely undercut the Raging Bull’s $207,306 entry fee. More will be revealed as the Durango SRT Hellcat nears production toward the end of this year.
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