Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will Hellcat all the things until there's nothing left to Hellcat. Next on the docket for the supercharged motor from Hell? The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat.
A person familiar with Dodge's future products but unable to speak publicly about those plans confirmed to Motor Authority on Monday the Durango Hellcat's debut at the New York auto show in April.
On Friday, the first "Fast 9" trailer was released and a Dodge commercial promoting "The Fast and the Furious" saga landed on YouTube. At the 17-seocnd mark of the Dodge commercial a Durango fender appears on screen with a Hellcat logo—a small nod to the upcoming Durango SRT Hellcat.
The Durango's set to get the Hellcat treatment just as the current Grand Cherokee Trackhawk with the supercharged V-8 may ride into the sunset with a new Grand Cherokee, which likely won't get the SRT treatment on day one.
Expect the supercharged Durango to have the same powertrain and running gear as the current Hellcat-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Under the hood will sit a 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with a 2.3-liter supercharger huffing 11.6 pounds of boost. Power will be send to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The single-speed active transfer case will manage power with help from an electronic limited-slip differential in back.
The current Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk runs 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and can sprint down the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph. Expect the supercharged Durango SRT to be slightly slower due to the increased weight of the three-row people mover.
The Durango might feature larger brakes than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk's 15.8-inch two-piece vented Brembos and 6-piston front calipers and 13.8-inch vented rear rotors due to the larger mass.
Expect the Durango SRT Hellcat's all-wheel-drive system to have five drive modes including auto, sport, track, tow, and snow.
Every Durango SRT Hellcat will likely have a red key and black key, the latter limiting power output probably about just 500 hp.
The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is rated to tow up to 7,200 pounds and the Durango's likely to be rated just under that.
When the supercharged Grand Cherokee Trackhawk went on sale FCA continued to offer the naturally aspirated Grand Cherokee SRT alongside it. Expect no different when the supercharged Durango model goes on sale. The Durango SRT has 475 hp and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, which is fast in its own right.
An FCA spokesperson didn't comment on the automaker's future plans, including the New York auto show.
Stay tuned for more information as we approach the 2020 New York auto show in April.
