Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk to Get Hellcat

Luke Vandezande
by Luke Vandezande

Jeep’s Grand Cherokee could be getting a little Hellcat help in the future when it drops its past SRT branding in favor of being called the “Trackhawk.” Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

A new report from Car and Driver citing unnamed sources claims that Fiat Chrysler is devleoping a Hellcat-powered performance version of the Grand Cherokee. When it arrives, it won’t wear the same “SRT” nameplate as the current performance variants of the Grand Cherokee (pictured) do because that name is being reserved for Dodge products. Instead it will be called the “Trackhawk.”

According to the report, a Hellcat-powered version of the crossover probably won’t be the only model that Jeep will offer. The Hellcat would grant it more than 230 additional horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque beyond what the naturally aspirated 6.4-liter Hemi powered model currently has. Currently that model is the best-selling product in the SRT lineup, so it seems likely that Jeep will capitalize on its popularity and sell the Hellcat model as a halo car.

SEE ALSO: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 Review

Car and Driver says Jeep’s engineers are currently trying to address potential durability problems with the four-wheel drive system that the high level of torque could cause. That’s going to be important because the blown V8 CUV will supposedly be capable of hitting 60 MPH in under four seconds, which would put it in contention with supertrucks like the BMW X5 M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.

If the rumors prove true, the car is expected to arrive sometime in mid-2016.

Discuss this story at our Jeep Trackhawk Forum

[Source: Car and Driver]

Luke Vandezande
Luke Vandezande

Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.

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