Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk the World's Strongest SUV?

Hellcat powered and ready to roar.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk may very well be the strongest SUV around. By thrusting the notoriously beefy Dodge Hellcat engine underneath the hood of a Grand Cherokee, what else could have been the result? Far more than just a simple engine switch, installing a muscle engine like the Hellcat necessitated practically redesigning the Cherokee from the ground up. The result is a legend in its own right. What the Dodge Demon did for muscle cars, the Trackhawk is now doing for the world of SUVs. If a 707-horsepower SUV sounds crazy to you... you're every bit as sane as the rest of us.

The long-awaited hero finally arrives.

Articles were surging from 2015 onwards about the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. In 2015 Jeep first announced plans for a Hellcat engine-powered Jeep. By early 2016 there were reports of a camouflaged prototype roaming the wild. Automotive journalists and would-be detectives could still tell this was the Hellcat Jeep, virtually without looking at it! The supercharged hiss of a Hellcat is unmistakable for those familiar with the engine, and the sound of the prototype was near-certain proof. All else said you've got to give it to the auto detectives; they never miss a beat.

How's Trackhawk for a name?

Trackhawk. The name was trademarked back in 2014, and we think it really fits, given that it's turned out to be the apex predator of SUVs. As a name, it's got the same biting edge that "Hellcat" does when you say it aloud. It also bodes a close association with Jeep's Trailhawk. However, where the Trailhawk capitalized on Jeep's offroad legacy, this is clearly on for the street and urban environments. It's consistently fascinating how Jeep can take one distinctive look and fit it into virtually any setting their customers might desire.

It's got amazing performance specs...

...but we didn't need to tell you that. The notion of a Jeep with a Hellcat engine under the hood by itself eliminates the likelihood that this was going to be any pushover. We can't exaggerate this; by any SUV standard, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk performs like a Greek God of the road. From what we've seen so far, the Trackhawk was clearly created with the intention of amazing people. With reports of 707 horsepower, 645 lb-ft of torque, and the guts to tow up to 7200 pounds behind it, this Jeep has got "high performance" scrawled all over it.

Supercharged AND four wheel drive?

Perhaps most impressively of all, Jeep has supercharged the SUV without saying goodbye to the Grand Cherokee's traditional four-wheel drive. We would have probably assumed that 4WD with this much power would have made it uncomfortably overpowered and volatile to handle. To accommodate for this, however, they blessed the Trackhawk with an appropriately powerful transmission system, extra-wide tires, and especially rugged brakes to counter the additional force.

You might not notice the power from the outside.

Despite the power it's packing, the Trackhawk looks pretty much like your standard SRT Grand Cherokee. If someone isn't close enough to see the Trackhawk badge, they may not clue into the kind of beast it is. The interior is also pretty typical for a Grand Cherokee, although it certainly benefits from Jeep's recent push to enhance the creature comforts of their vehicles. The extra-wide wheels could be cues that it's a different breed of SUV. Chances are however that it'll be that distinctive Hellcat whine that finally brings bystanders into the know.

It'll be hitting dealerships soon.

The base price will hang around $86,000, with the additional standard options like upgraded upholstery and enhanced stereo available for an extra cost. 

You can read up more on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk from the official site here. 

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