Output-craving dads will soon be able to drop their kids off for school in the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the world’s most powerful production SUV.
Joining the Challenger and Charger in the American automaker’s highest-octane trim, the muscled-up ute gets a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI Hellcat V8 that cranks 710-horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque through a sturdy eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels.
Even with three rows of seating and a hulking stature, the Durango SRT Hellcat will hit 60 mph in supercar-worthy 3.5 seconds, run a National Hot Rod Association-certified quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds, and max out at 180 mph. The brawny utility vehicle also offers a best-in-class towing capacity of 8,700 pounds.
Dodge didn’t just install a a massive power plant and call it good. The active suspension boasts a electronic limited slip differential and stiff rear dampers that promise to reduce understeer and body roll, helping the Durango navigate corners.
A redesigned rear spoiler creates an improved aerodynamic balance with the new two-piece chin splitter, resulting in a whopping 400-percent increase in rear downforce over the outgoing Durango.
Aesthetically, the forward-leaning profile channels the latest four-door Charger Widebody in its new front fascia, LED low/high headlamps, signature LED daytime running lamps (DRL) and sculpted hood scoop. Everything rides on 20-inch-by-10-inch mid-gloss black rimswrapped in Pirelli performance tires.
The cockpit, however, takes more cues from the two-door Challenger, with a wider overall feel, huge 10.1-inch touchscreen and Dodge’s Uconnect 5 multimedia system, a new instrument panel, and a slimmed redesigned integrated center stack ornamented with chrome-accented toggles and dedicated buttons for heated and cooled seats.
If the SRT Hellcat’s engine seems overkill—frankly, that’s the point—a 475-hp 392-cubic-inch HEMI V8, 360-hp 5.7-liter HEMI V8, and 295-hp 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 are also on offer on different Durango variants.
The diminutive models arrive this fall before the first Durango SRT Hellcats are delivered in early 2021.
