Detroit - Dodge has given some of its famous Hellcat fury to its largest SUV, the Durango, and it’s said to be the most powerful series production SUV in the world.
Just like its muscle car cousin, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, this devilish Durango is powered by a 6.2-litre supercharged version of Chrysler’s Hemi V8 engine, which produces 530kW and 875Nm. That, for the record, is 8kW more than its closest Fiat Chrysler relative, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which is for sale in South Africa. On that note however, we won’t be seeing the Dodge in local showrooms as the brand has been discontinued here. But it’s not going to be a permanent fixture in American showrooms either as FCA says it will produce this Hellcat for one year only.
So how fast is it?
According to Dodge, the Durango Hellcat will flatten the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds, as certified by the National Hot Rod Association, while the zero to 60mph (96km/h) time is listed at 3.5 seconds and the top speed is 290km/h.
Hitching a trailer? No sweat, the Hellcat has a towing capacity of 3946kg.
The Hellcat rolls on 20-inch gloss black wheels and comes with an aerodynamic body kit that adds up to 400 percent more downforce at the back.
As you’d expect, Dodge has thrown in a modified suspension system with Hellcat-specific components, and owners can dial in a Track mode to achieve the quickest possible lap times.
But why build such a powerful SUV?
"The Brotherhood of Muscle includes families of all sizes and the Durango delivers Dodge performance as the Charger of the three-row SUV segment,” said FCA head of passenger cars Tim Kuniskis.
"And new for 2021, we have raised the bar even higher. The 710-horsepower (530kW) Hellcat is the most powerful SUV ever. It’s the last piece of the puzzle and, alongside the Charger and Challenger, completes the Dodge brand’s performance lineup.”
