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A Three-Way SUV Drag Race: Can the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk hold the line against the BMW X5 M Competition and Range Rover SVR?
by Dim Angelov, on LISTEN 03:02Sam CarLegion, once again, gives us an epic YouTube video of awesome vehicles drag-racing each other. This time, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has the uneasy task of defending its turf against the BMW X5 M Competition and Range Rover Sport SVR. All three SUVs are the top versions of their regular counterparts, but who is going to come out on top?
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
The Trackhawk is something of a budget hero here. While $90,000 is certainly a lot of money, the American SUV is the least expensive, while packing the most power. Its 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 pushrod engine puts down 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet (875 Nm) to all four wheels through a ZF eight-speed automatic. The Grand Cherokee is also the heaviest here, at 5,258 pounds (2,385 kg).
BMW X5 M Competition
For the BMW X5 M Competition’s $106,000 price tag, you could get a Trackhawk and a base Chevrolet Camaro, but we are not here to discuss that. Its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 is shared with the M5 and M8 Competition and puts down 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm). All that goes to both axles via the same ZF eight-speed gearbox. The X5 M Competition has a curb weight of 5,038 pounds (2,285 kg).
Range Rover Sport SVR
At $115,000, the Range Rover is the opposite of a performance SUV bargain. Although still powerful, its 5.0-liter supercharged DOHC V-8 makes “only” 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm). Once again, power goes to all four wheels through the ZF eight-speed automatic. The SVR is slightly heavier than the BMW, at 5,093 pounds (2,310 kg).
The Races
Only two runs were made, with the SUVs in sport mode. As expected, the Range Rover Sport SVR performed the weakest of the bunch. From the start, the other two took off, leaving it in the dust. The Trackhawk’s superior response and torque were key in the first race, securing a win. The BMW X5 M Competition, however, was right on its tail and was even catching up towards the end.
Race two bore different results, as it turns out the BMW was not in full sport mode for the first race. With the owner behind the wheel and the Bavarian SUV now in full attack mode, it managed to take one back, from the Trackhawk. That said, the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee was right behind it. Meanwhile, the SVR was just happy to have been invited.
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