Jeep Trackhawk 707 Hellcat HP, Runs mid-11s, Tows 7200lbs
The world’s strongest SUV is here, and it is a Jeep powered by the Hellcat Hemi.
We knew it was coming, but it is finally here – the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has officially been announced by FCA and as expected, it is powered by the same supercharged 6.2L Hemi that makes the Hellcat Challenger and Hellcat Charger two of the fastest cars in the world.
On the outside, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk looks a great deal like the Grand Cherokee SRT with the 392 cubic inch Hemi, with the exception of some extra badging, new exhaust tips and bigger Brembo brakes tucked behind unique wheels. The inside isn’t all that different either, with more package specific badging and some supercharger-specific gauges on the UConnect infotainment system that aren’t present with the SRT 392 Jeep.
Really, if you took the badging off of the Trackhawk, it could pass for a current SRT Jeep with aftermarket wheels and exhaust, but this SUV isn’t about standing out at a car show – it is about going very, very fast.
As expected, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is powered by the 6.2L Hellcat Hemi with the 707 horsepower as the cars and a slight drop in torque to a still-impressive 645lb-ft. That power is channeled to all four wheels via an 8-speed transmission and a transfer case which are both stronger than the units in the SRT 392 models, as are the half shafts and the rear driveshaft. That is all information which we expected when the Hellcat-powered Jeep arrived.
What we didn’t expect was that the Trackhawk would have some high performance features which the Hellcat cars currently do not offer. The Hellcat-powered Jeep features the Torque Reserve system (2-step/anti-lag) and the intercooler chilling system from the new Dodge Demon. The intercooler system helps this Jeep’s Hemi make monster power more consistently in even the hottest weather, but the Torque Reserve system plays a much bigger role in overall performance.
Torque Reserve allows the supercharger to build boost pressure while preparing to launch, so the Jeep will launch which much more force than the Hellcat cars – all of which is made possible by the advanced all-wheel drive system. In Track mode, the AWD system sends 70% of the power to the rear wheels while the other 30% heads up front, combining to help this big, heavy SUV get away from the starting line in a hurry. To be exact, the Trackhawk will blast from 0-60 in just 3.5 seconds – about a tenth slower than the Hellcat cars which are about a thousand pounds lighter.
Better yet, that incredible 0-60 time translates to a quarter mile time which is just as impressive, with this full sized SUV storming down the drag strip in just 11.6 seconds at 116 miles per hour. That is within a few tenths of a second of the Hellcat cars in stock form, even though the Jeep is considerably heavier – thanks to the combination of the AWD system and the Torque Reserve system.
Best of all, in addition to being the most powerful SUV in the world and the quickest SUV in the world, this supercharged Jeep maintains the functionality of the rest of the Grand Cherokee lineup – with seating for five, a large cargo area and the ability to tow 7,200lbs.
Finally, in addition to the monster engine and the beefed up drivetrain, the Jeep Trackhawk gets the biggest brakes ever offered on a Jeep product, measuring 15.75 inches up front (under 6-piston calipers) and 13.75 inches out back (4-piston calipers) – leading to a braking distance from 60mph of just 114ft. There is also a retuned suspension setup to handle the extra power and weight. Since the Hellcat Hemi, the transmission, the transfer case and an assortment of drivetrain components are all heavier than the components on the SRT 392 model, the engineering team retuned the adaptive suspension to accommodate for the extra weight. They also added springs which are 9% stiffer up front and 15% stiffer out back, allowing this Jeep to reach 0.88G of lateral acceleration.
The Hellcat Hemi engine has done it again. First, the Hellcat powered the quickest, fastest and most powerful muscle car ever. Next, it powered the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan in the world and now it powers the quickest, fastest and most powerful sport utility vehicle in the world.
While the Trackhawk has debuted online, it will make its grand formal debut this Wednesday at the New York Auto Show and we will be there for a live look at the world’s nastiest SUV – made by Mopar, of course.
Update: We have added some images below of the grand debut at the New York Auto Show of the Trackhawk in the flesh, along with the introduction of the Hellcat-powered Jeep, with the 707hp making a run on the Dyno. The sound of the Trackhawk in action is incredible, even over the sound effects, so this is a video that you will want to watch with your sound cranked up.
