Dodge Gets an SRT Durango
At long last, the Dodge Durango gets the high performance SRT design.
We have been talking about an SRT Durango since the 3rd generation of the SUV was introduced for the 2011 model year, but when the 2018 model year reaches dealerships later this year – the brawny Dodge sport utility vehicle will finally get the SRT upfitting.
The heart of the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is a comprehensive performance upgrade in every area – including the SRT 392 Hemi, the quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, an advanced all-wheel drive system, a unique tuned suspension setup with the SRT adaptive dampers and huge Brembo breaks under all four of the unique 20 inch wheels. This high tech drivetrain setup makes the Durango the quickest 3-row SUV in America, running a 12.90 quarter mile, while also being able to tow 8,600lbs – making it the most capable 3-row SUV in America. By the way, with the Durango SRT set to track mode, sending 70% of the power to the rear wheels, this roomy Dodge SUV with sprint from a stop to 60 in just 4.4 seconds.
More importantly to those who won’t do much drag racing, the 2018 SRT Durango uses the adjustable damper system to offer a smooth ride in normal driving circumstances and super-stiff, track-ready cornering capabilities with the push of a button. Like the other modern SRT vehicles, the SRT Durango uses the 8.4” touchscreen to personalize the feel of the suspension, steering, transmission shift pattern, the AWD power distribution and the traction control system, so adjustments can be made to take this performance SUV from mild to wild.
We don’t have any track numbers, but the Dodge team promises that the SRT Durango will be right at home on a road course, while having its own driving characteristics compared to the closely-related SRT Jeep Grand Cherokee. Ultimately, the biggest different between the two SRT SUVs is the 3rd row of seats in the Durango, but with the Jeep being designed for all-purpose performance and the Dodge being marketed as a street SUV, the two should have their own feel on the road.
Of course, the SRT Durango will have leather bucket seats in all three rows, with the front seats being heated and cooled and the 2nd row seats are heated. Joining the plush leather sport seats is a premium UConnect infotainment system with the aforementioned 8.4 inch touchscreen and a reconfigurable 7 inch driver information screen in the gauge cluster.
Finally, the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT will have a unique interior with design cues borrowed from the Charger SRT models. This includes a front fascia with a huge central opening flanked LED fog light housings – one of which has an additional cooling duct that leads air directly to the 392 cubic inch Hemi. There is also a unique mesh grille with the SRT badge, nestled between a pair of LED-trimmed projection headlights with black bezel and topping off the front end improvement is a twin vented SRT hood, complete with a hood scoop (all of which is similar to the SRT Charger).
Along the sides, the SRT Durango gets a more aggressive stance via the unique suspension and the subtle wheel opening flares and out back, a pair of 4 inch chrome tips poke through the sporty rear fascia.
We don’t have any pricing on the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT yet, but we know that it is slated to arrive in the 4th quarter of 2017 and when it does – it will almost surely prove to be the most capable and most entertaining 3-row SUV in America.
