- in dodge's muscular portfolio, there was arguably just one thing missing: a seven seater with hellcat power.
- the 2021 dodge durango srt hellcat, with its 710-hp supercharged 6.2-liter hemi v-8 and three rows of seats, meets that need.
- orders for the hellcat durango will open this fall, with first deliveries expected in early 2021.
fca has an affinity for putting the hellcat's supercharged 6.2-liter v-8 in just about anything. it started with the challenger hellcat and charger hellcat, and then it went all-wheel drive with the jeep grand cherokee trackhawk, but despite the plethora of hellcat-powered models in fca's portfolio, one thing was missing: a hellcat-powered vehicle that combines the practicality and utility of a three-row suv with the thrills and sounds of a muscle car. dodge plans to offer just that in the form of the 710-hp durango srt hellcat.
under the hood of the durango hellcat is the familiar 6.2-liter supercharged hemi v-8 producing 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque, sending its power to all four wheels through the tried and true torqueflite 8hp95 eight-speed automatic transmission. dodge claims a zero-to-60-mph blast of 3.5 seconds, a nhra-certified quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds, and a top speed of a lofty 180 mph. we think the former is reasonable given that the jeep grand cherokee trackhawk was able to do the deed in 3.4 seconds in our testing, but the quarter-mile time may be a few tenths quicker than we expect due to our testing taking place on a non-prepped surface. we'll get back to you on that when we get one in for testing. in addition to the hellcat engine, the supercharged durango forgoes its fog lights for two cold-air intakes: the driver's-side intake feeds the revised engine oil cooler, and the passenger side feeds directly into the engine air intake.
people who place importance on the sound of their exhaust—we're hoping that's everyone—will appreciate that the durango hellcat sports the largest x-pipe in the entire lineup, so we expect it will have a slightly different aural character than the rest of its siblings.
outside, the durango receives srt-specific design elements including an aggressive chin spoiler, new front and rear fascias, and a rear spoiler that generates 140 pounds of downforce at top speed, but mostly just looks cool. the standard brembo six-piston calipers in front and four-piston rears carry over from the srt durango as well as the 295-section width pirelli all-season tires; performance summer tires are available as an option as are the 20-inch "lights out" wheels included on the black package. in an effort to improve ride quality and performance, dodge says the suspension tuning has been revised for more comfort in auto mode and increased stiffness and reduced body roll in track mode. buyers with boats, bikes, or atvs will be pleased to know that the durango hellcat also boasts best in-class towing with a max capacity of 8700 pounds, so opting to take the performance vehicle to your cabin doesn't mean leaving that stuff behind, just don't count on getting great fuel economy.
on the inside, the durango gets a number of updates, including a 10.1-inch infotainment screen and new uconnect 5 software that is five times faster. inspired by the challenger, the durango's interior has a more driver-centric cockpit feel, angling the infotainment and switch panel seven degrees toward the driver. in the hellcat, the srt badge on the steering wheel is backlit with a menacing red glow. durango hellcat models will also offer unique red accenting on the gauge cluster, standard heated and ventilated seats with leather and alcantara trim, and optional upgraded leather seats in black and red with an embossed srt logo. all in all, the interior revamp dresses up an interior that had seriously aged.
available for order at dealers this fall, the durango srt hellcat should hit dealers early in 2021. dodge hasn't released pricing yet, but we expect it to start somewhere around $82,995. sadly, the durango srt hellcat will only be available for the 2021 model year, after which dodge says it will no longer meet the emissions requirements for its segment. that's not necessarily a reason to fret over, though; dodge says it will make as many durango hellcats as needed to meet customer demand. if you've been waiting years for fca to finally drop this engine in the durango, now's your chance. carpe diem.