Dodge’s rumored Durango SRT could make school runs a lot more fun

By Stephen Edelstein September 8, 2016

Dodge Durango

Car fans are clamoring for the rumored Jeep Grand Cherkoee Trackhawk, a Grand Cherokee SUV powered by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) glorious 707-horsepower Hellcat Hemi V8 engine. But what about the Dodge SUV the Grand Cherokee shares a platform with?

A Dodge Durango SRT performance model may be on the way, although it probably won’t get the Hellcat engine, according to Automotive News (subscription required). SRT (which stands for Street and Racing Technology) is the in-house performance tuner for the Chrysler brands, but it’t never done anything with the Durango.

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In a report on upcoming changes for the Dodge model lineup, Automotive News claims the Durango will be “lightly freshened” for 2017. That update will reportedly include an SRT version with a 6.4-liter engine. The Hellcat engine displaces 6.2-liters (it’s also supercharged). That means the Durango SRT will likely get the engine currently offered in the “392” versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger, as well as the current (non-Trackhawk) Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

Read more: All-wheel drive Dodge Challenger on the way?

To be clear, that 6.4-liter Hemi V8 is no slouch. It produces 475 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque in the Jeep, getting that hulking SUV from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 160 mph, according to FCA. A Durango SRT with this engine would likely offer similar performance, which is already more speed than you could ever possibly need in a three-row family hauler.

As far as zany performance vehicles go, a Durango SRT also makes some sense. While it is wonderfully absurd, the Grand Cherokee SRT goes in the opposite direction of what that model was designed for, namely off-road driving. The Durango has always been more about on-road driving, so a sportier version seems like a more logical fit. Of course, it would also leave FCA with two very similar hot rod SUVs that could end up stealing sales from each other.

Stay tuned to see if the Dodge Durango SRT becomes a reality. Who knows? Maybe Dodge will drop that Hellcat engine in after all.

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