Chrysler 300 SRT to meet the reaper while Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT lives on

By Stephen Edelstein May 10, 2014

2014 Chrysler 300 SRT — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Among the many revelations to come out of Fiat-Chrysler’s new five-year plan was the merger of the Dodge and SRT brands, leaving Dodge as Chrysler’s performance outlet.

However, that leaves a couple of loose ends. Namely, the two SRT models that don’t wear Dodge badges.

It appears, there’s both good news and bad news. Car and Driver reports that the Chrysler 300 SRT will be discontinued, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT will live on.

Why the Jeep and not the Chrysler?

Weirdly, the Grand Cherokee SRT is the brand’s best-selling model, so it makes sense to keep it for the time being. Buyers apparently love their high-performance SUVs.

SRT, which stands for Street and Racing Technology, is essentially Chrysler’s version of Mercedes-Benz AMG, an in-house tuner that makes hot rod versions of the company’s products.

More recently, Chrysler attempted to grow SRT into a standalone brand, even re-badging the Dodge Viper as an SRT.

Now that Dodge is taking over the performance role – and Chrysler and Jeep are taking on its old role as a mainstream brand – it really doesn’t make sense to continue building SRT vehicles for other brands.

Fans of the 300 SRT can always look to the Dodge Charger, which is essentially a less-luxurious version of Chrysler’s big sedan. Both cars ride on the same updated LX platform, which can be traced back to an older Mercedes design, and feature the same glorious HEMI V8 engines.

A new Charger SRT is expected after the refreshed 2015 Charger base model hits showrooms later this year.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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