With Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shoving its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine from the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat anywhere it fits, it should come as no surprise the potent engine found a home under the hood of a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. The potent powerplant makes it a worthy adversary to not only other high-performance SUVs – but also a host of performance cars as well. Let’s say you wouldn’t want to see the Trackhawk at a red light on a dark, empty street. 

This video from the Wheels YouTube Channel shows just how powerful the Trackhawk is as it goes up against an underpowered Cadillac ATS-V. The one advantage the ATS-V has is weight because the Trackhawk is hefty – tipping the scales at 5,363 pounds. That’s 1,500 pounds more than the Cadillac. However, the Jeep has a tremendous power advantage. The 6.2-liter V8 produces 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque, sending power to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

The Cadillac ATS-V is no slouch. It’s powered by a biturbocharged 3.6-liter V6 producing 464 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque. It too uses an eight-speed gearbox, but power only goes to the rear wheels. Cadillac claims a sprint to 60 miles per hour from a standstill takes 3.9 seconds. Jeep says its Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is faster to 60, clocking 3.5 seconds. 

In the video, the two compete in two different races. The first one is a farce. Either the Jeep jumped, or the Cadillac driver fell asleep at the wheel because the Jeep crushed the ATS-V off the line by what appears to be a full second. However, the second race is much more exciting. 

Both rocket from the line when the tree turns green. The Cadillac gets a clear jump ahead of the Jeep – likely getting assistance from those meatier tiers – but the Jeep catches up and passes the Cadillac. The Jeep barely squeezes out a win – completing the quarter-mile race in 11.89 seconds at 115.61 miles per hour. The ATS-V is only slightly slower, clocking a 12.12-second quarter-mile time at 114.41 miles per hour. 

People mat loathe at all the crossovers out there that are getting serious performance cred. But when they outperform some of the best sports cars on the market, it’s hard not to at least like the insanity of a 707-horsepower Jeep. 

Source: Wheels via YouTube