It’s the year 2020 and Dodge is still selling the bonkers Durango SRT, which can still pull off 0-60 mph sprints in 4.4 seconds. It’s also America’s most powerful SUV that comes with a three-row arrangement as standard thanks to a naturally-aspirated 6.4-liter HEMI V-8.
So, does the world really need a higher-performance Durango iteration? Not really but hey, shoehorning a Hellcat V-8 inside the Durango can’t go wrong, right? Especially since the transplant would be done in the confines of Dodge’s facilities under the close supervision of the brand’s mechanics and engineers, and not by your street-corner auto shop.
Of Course We Want a Durango Hellcat, We Just Don’t Want To Wait Too Much For It
Dodge has made a rock-solid custom out of raining down teasers on the internet whenever it’s about to launch a new model or a beefed-up version of one that’s already on sale. So dropping hints in the Dodge House of Power video that’s meant to hype up the incoming Fast and Furious 9 movie should not raise any eyebrows.
The thing is, though, you can sign Vin Diesel for promo material all you want, we don’t care about that. We only want to know everything there is to know about the Durango Hellcat, and unfortunately, there are no details about it whatsoever at this point. Luckily, we can look at other Hellcat-badged Dodges in anticipation of an official announcement.
The V-8 inside the Durango SRT pumps out 475 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of twist through a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission with rev-matching tech and an all-wheel-drive setup.
Should the Durango receive the Hellcat badge, Dodge might see fit to drop the 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 found inside the Challenger Hellcat. It makes 717 horsepower and 656 pound-feet of torque, and it would make for option number one. Option number two could be the
sourced V-8 found inside the Hellcat Redeye, which is tweaked to produce 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. Option number three could then be the 707-horsepower V-8 of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, since it’s already sitting inside an SUV and that would simplify the transition for Dodge.
Now, the Durango SRT already packs larger brakes, a sporty suspension setup, and chunkier tires. The addition of any Hellcat-badged engine from the ones mentioned above would definitely mean further tweaking. Even bigger brakes, a more composed suspension, even some reinforcements for the gearbox or its replacement altogether.
Heck, Dodge might even dress the Durango Hellcat in a wide-body kit to further boost its devilishness. But for now, we’ll have to stick to replaying the video below over and over again, hoping official word on the Durango Hellcat will come out soon.
