Long-rumored, confirmed, delayed, and now given an official production date, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat will make its way to the U.S. in July of 2017, according to Jeep CEO Mike Manley.
As expected, the brand’s fastest-ever model will use the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 from the Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcats with an output to match: 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. Though those figures have yet to be confirmed, keep in mind that the Grand Cherokee SRT “only” makes 470 hp, so even getting close to that 707 figure means a massive performance increase.
As is, the regular SRT gets to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and tops out at 157 mph. That could mean the Hellcat version will either dip below the 4.0-second mark or be just at that level while its top speed could climb beyond 175 mph. You’d best have a few sets of spare tires handy, but those kind of speeds in an SUV will be mind-bendingly fun.
Then there’s the Grand Cherokee SRT’s competition. While the SUV is currently on the low end of performance among rivals like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Range Rover Sport SVR, and BMW X5 M, the Hellcat tweaks could make it the fastest SUV on the market — that is if it can put the power down.
It’s not yet clear if Jeep will apply the rumored “Trackhawk” name to the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee, but given the Trailhawk badge has been applied to the off-road focused version, it’s a fair bet. There’s also word that the regular SRT will continue to be sold alongside the super-powered Trackhawk, likely because there will be at least a couple hundred horsepower between the two body styles. Then there’s the price. The current SRT starts at $66,490 — right around the price tag for the Charger and Challenger Hellcat, but the Trackhawk could command upwards of $75,000.
Even at that much larger figure, the Grand Cherokee Hellcat/Trackhawk will still cost thousands less than its rivals, which have much more of a luxury slant than the Jeep.
