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These performance family haulers from Stellantis hit the dragstrip; who are you putting your money on?
by Khris Bharath, onAlthough the performance SUV doesn’t really make any sense whatsoever, it is an entity that continues to be popular and exists. Automakers will keep churning out such vehicles until there is a demand for them. For some people, the performance SUV really is all the car that they’d ever need.
Which one amongst these family haulers from Stellantis is quickest, remains a hot topic, and what better place to find out than at the drag strip. The Wheels YouTube channel put out a video of the popular Dodge Durango Hellcat, take on a fourth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and yet another Dodge Durango, but this time it’s the SRT model.
Dodge Durango Hellcat
Let’s begin with the Dodge Durango Hellcat. The seven-seater SUV seen here is finished in satin silver.
It features a fire-breathing 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V-8 engine that produces a colossal 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque.
It weighs 5,710 pounds. Now those are some serious numbers for what essentially is a family SUV.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
In the black corner, we have a sinister-looking Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, that also features a big engine under the hood.
It has the same 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V-8 engine found in the Durango Hellcat, which produces 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque.
However, unlike the Durango, the Grand Cherokee is only a five-seater and also weighs lesser, tipping the scales at 5,363 pounds. It also comes with performance Brembo brakes.
Dodge Durango SRT
Finally, we have the Durango SRT,.
It features a naturally aspirated 6.4 liter 392 HEMI V-8 engine that produces 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque.
Now that’s considerably lower when compared to the Hellcat, but in absolute terms, it’s still a big number. All it means is that the engine will have to work a little harder to lug around the over 5,000 pounds of the Durango. With the number’s out of the way, let’s RACE !!
Round 1 - Dodge Durango Hellcat vs Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Both the Trackhawk and the Durango Hellcat line up for the launch. The hammer drops and the Trackhawk gets away to a great start, with the Durango Hellcat keeping up with the Jeep pretty much all the way to the line.
The Jeep may have one this duel, but I guess the Grand Cherokee’s driver had a slightly better reaction time because the quarter-mile times really show how close these two SUVs really are. The Trackhawk completed the standing quarter in 12.04 seconds while the Hellcat wasn’t far behind at 12.07 seconds.
Round 2 - Dodge Durango Hellcat vs Dodge Durango SRT
Next, it was the Durango vs Durango face-off. It gives us a chance to find out if the Hellcat’s premium, really is worth it. It was the 6.2-liter Supercharged Hemi vs the naturally aspirated 6.4 liter 392 HEMI. Both Durango’s line up for launch.
The lights go out and the power advantage of the Hellcat becomes evident almost immediately. The Hellcat leaps forward from the get-go and stays in the lead all the way till the finish line. The SRT didn’t stand a chance. The Hellcat completed the standing quarter in 11.84 seconds, while the SRT managed 13.66 seconds.
To Sum It Up
This series of races gave us an opportunity to witness the top drawer in terms of performance as far as SUVs are concerned, from Stellantis’ portfolio. Watch how things pan out in the video below.
