(Images: FCA North America) At first, it was a joke. Then it was a dream…and now, a Hellcat-powered, all-wheel-drive Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a reality. And this time tomorrow, the order banks for the Trackhawk, as it’s been dubbed, will be wide open, provided you have the $86,995 ready to go (or, if your local dealer is a bit more unscrupulous, whatever they are asking.) That means that this is the most expensive of FCA’s psychotic creations, including the Demon.
But is the cost worth it? That’s up to you, but the numbers say that it’s at least worth a look. It’ll run 0-60 within a tenth of a Challenger Hellcat Widebody, will go from 60-0 in 114 feet thanks to standard Brembo brakes, should be capable of mid-11s in the quarter mile, and can tow 7,200 pounds of whatever you feel like behind it. I suspect more than a couple of folks from the Modern Street Hemi Shootout series might be honestly looking at purchasing one as a tow rig. Because there is no reason why you can’t tow the dedicated race car to the track, unhook the trailer, and run both a quick class and a bracket with the tow rig, right?
And once you get past the fun and fear of the SRT bits, you are still left with a Grand Cherokee. After sampling a rental-spec V6-powered version earlier this year, I have to admit that it’s a nice place to be, and I’m not an SUV-type guy. The V6 was punchy, the fuel economy was decent, and the ride qualities were just fine. Trading out the Pentastar six for the supercharged 6.2L V8 that has been FCA’s halo since it debuted? Driving an SUV that could wax most anything it’ll ever come across on the roads? Yeah…if that doesn’t do it for you, nothing will. Get to your dealership and remind them that FCA boss Tim Kuniskis is watching for upcharges, and get your order in.
