No Demon in sight though.
The flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is well and truly on its way here, with a debut date set for October. And while most of us are all excited at the prospect of a snarly, supercharged V8 monster with a Jeep badge, it appears that the American company has taken a moment to kill some rumours while it’s at it.
While the Trackhawk will pack a Hellcat V8 (with 522kW, for heavens sake), there have been quarters asking if there might be a possible ‘Demon’ variant on the way, in the same vein as the Dodge Challenger coupe in the United States. In the Challenger Demon, the mill pushes out an astonishing 600kW and 1000Nm, which can be pushed even further with the use of racing-grade RON100 fuel. The power boosts are down to an upsized supercharger, as well as a raised rev limit.
When compared to the Demon, the 6.2-litre Hellcat V8 in the Trackhawk might seem somewhat mild. It offers 522kW and 868Nm, which can rocket the enormous thing from rest to 100km/h in just 3.7-seconds, making it the most powerful production SUV on sale in history. This is a car that would show a Bentley Bentayga who’s boss, let alone a lesser Grand Cherokee SRT.
“Isn’t 700-horsepower enough?” asked Jeep powertrain boss Jamie Standing, when posed with the question of a ‘Grand Cherokee Demon.’ It’s not an idea that Jeep is even willing to entertain at this point, given the sheer amount of modification that the Grand Cherokee had to undergo just to make room for the Hellcat engine. The eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox required strengthening, as did the driveshafts and the transfer-case/limited-slip differential setup. We can’t begin to imagine what havoc a Demon engine would wreak on the Trackhawk’s mechanicals.
Going back to the flagship model, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will arrive in one trim, though it will be made available initially with a 62-unit limited ‘Launch Edition,’ which builds upon the standard car but adds improved interior trim, improved infotainment, and additional badging. Prices have also yet to be revealed, though it’s speculated to command $140,000 (before ORCs), with the Launch Edition expected to ask for a figure closer to $160,000.
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