FCA gave the green light to shoehorn Dodge’s supercharged 6.2L V8 into their Jeep Grand Cherokee.
We’ve known for quite some time that Jeep was going to throw together a hotter performance version of its Grand Cherokee since last year when rumors were confirmed. With the New York International Auto Show just a few days away, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has dropped its Trackhawk Cherokee. According to the Detroit Free Press on their announcement earlier today (Apr. 9, 2017) FCA has spared no expense in making sure that this might be the most capable SUV ready for the track that the world has ever seen. Check out a couple of press release photos they’ve graced us with below and revel in the opulence that is pure American power on wheels.
Here are the preliminary stats on the beast of an SUV. Just like its Hellcat brethren, this SUV will produce a whopping 707 HP and 645 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 MPH comes in at 3.5 seconds and romp it down the quarter mile and you’ll hit the sensors in 11.6 seconds.
FCA’s engineers know that all this extra power will require some special equipment above and beyond their Charger and Challenger so they’ve equipped this Trackhawk with beefed up componentry. The front Brembos are the largest ever on a Jeep. The Torqueflite 8-speed has been reengineered to handle the extra torque with all that torque traveling through ultra-high strength tensile steel driveshafts. And the suspension has thicker coil springs and stronger control arms. Keen eyes will notice that behind the front fog lamp is a cold air intake that feeds the hungry supercharger.
For ease of use, there are five driving modes; automatic, sport, track, tow, and snow. So yes, you can technically make the case that you need to upgrade to the Trackhawk for its torque towing capabilities.
So where does this leave the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8? According to a piece written by Jalopnik a few months ago, the head of Jeep’s branding stated that there would be space for both. The Trackhawk and SRT8 Grand Cherokee would serve different purposes.
The mere existence of this Trackhawk might even boost sales of the SRT8 Jeep Grand Cherokee. For those that want to justify buying a 475 HP SUV, what better way to convince yourself that you’re not really going for the most powerful engine option available, you’re settling.
Jeep’s Grand Cherokee has had strong sales that only keep getting stronger according to Good Car Bad Car for the past several years. Although sales of this Trackhawk won’t add much to total sales, it’ll most definitely bolster the image of the Grand Cherokee as one of the most versatile SUV’s available for sale.
