Dodge Durango Hellcat Likely Headed For Production

• Dodge Durango Hellcat slated for New York Auto Show debut
• 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque expected
• Video titled “Dodge House of Power | The Fast Saga” shows glimpse of Durango Hellcat

After releasing no-holds-barred Hellcat variants of the Dodge Challenger, the Dodge Charger and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be defying treehuggers once again by launching the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. Of course, the world doesn’t need another 707-horsepower, gas-swilling SUV, but then again, why not?

Actually, FCA hasn’t announced the fire-breathing Durango just yet. However, keen observers will notice that at the 18-second mark of a recently published video titled “Dodge House of Power | The Fast Saga,” narrated by Vin Diesel, we can identify a Hellcat badge on the front fender of what looks like a Durango. And according to MotorAuthority, the 2021 Dodge Durango Hellcat will be making its official at the upcoming New York International Auto Show in early April.

The Durango should get the same powertrain specifications as the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which means a supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI V8 that develops 707 hp and 645 pound-feet of torque, connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drivetrain. It should also feature a sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein dampers and Brembo brakes, just like on the Jeep.

The Trackhawk is able to rip from 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds, but since the Durango is longer and heavier—it has a third row of seats unlike the two-row Jeep—it might take the Dodge Durango Hellcat about four seconds to reach the same velocity, which would still be considered extremely fast off the line.

The Dodge Durango’s Hellcat’s very existence, if it does get unveiled in New York, is odd given the current-generation model was introduced for the 2011 model year, and has received only minor changes since. Yet despite its ripe old age, Durango sales climbed 32% in 2019 compared to 2018 in Canada, and increased by 2.5% in the United States.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is listed at $116,445 in Canada and $86,900 in the U.S. The Durango Hellcat will likely cost a few thousand dollars less. We’ll know pretty soon if Dodge’s video was a teaser or an optical illusion.