Making its debut at the New York Auto Show, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the most intense SUV ever created. Matching a supercharged Hellcat Hemi V8 that cranks out 707 horsepower with a high-performance chassis and bad-boy styling cues inside and out, the Trackhawk pushes the limits on every level of cool.
“Long recognized as the full-size SUV capability leader, Jeep Grand Cherokee is now the most powerful and quickest SUV as well, noted Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand – FCA Global. “The new Grand Cherokee Trackhawk delivers astounding performance numbers, backed by renowned SRT engineering that combines world-class on-road driving dynamics with luxury, refinement and an array of innovative advanced technology.”
Hellcat underhood
Centerpiece of the new Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a 6.2-liter force-fed SRT Hellcat V8 that complements its prodigious pony count with a scintillating 654 lb-ft of torque. Backed by a specially reinforced and quicker-responding, paddle-shift TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission, the Trackhawk boasts a single-range Quadra-Trac active-on-demand 4-wheel drive system with an electronic limited-slip rear differential and Launch Control. The powertrain sends the Trackhawk to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, making it the world’s quickest SUV. This ultra Jeep also blasts through the quarter mile in 11.6 ticks–Viper and Z06 Vette territory–on its way to a 180 mph top end.
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To fully exploit its extra muscle, the Trackhawk features an aluminum-intensive performance-tuned suspension with Bilstein adaptive damping and a 1.0-inch lower ride height plus more robust rear halfshafts and constant-velocity joints. It also has a dedicated 5-mode (Auto/Sport/Track/Snow/Tow) plus Individual Selec-Trac setup that controls the 4WD, transmission mapping, paddle shifters, suspension and electric power steering. The Trackhawk rides on 20-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels wrapped in standard 295/45 Pirelli Scorpion Verde All-season Performance run-flat tires. Three-season Pirelli P Zero tires are optional. The ultralight alloy rims shave 12 pounds of unsprung weight.
Styled for speed
To ensure it looks the part of a bona fide performance vehicle, the Trackhawk is distinguished by exterior enhancements. Key changes include adaptive bi-xenon headlamps framed by black surrounds, custom air intakes in place of the conventional fog lamps, a hood with functional dual air extractors, color-keyed fender flares and side sills, a Gloss Black rear valence that houses dual Black Chrome exhaust tips along with the requisite “Supercharged” and “Trackhawk” badges.
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Boasting Nappa leather and suede upholstery, carbon fiber and Premium Metal Package, active noise cancellation and a flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel, the Trackhawk’s racing-inspired cabin also features custom instrumentation and an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen. The latter displays performance page readouts showing real-time power and torque data that can be saved to a USB drive. In addition to over 70 conventional safety/driver-assist features, the Trackhawk also comes with a driver-selectable Valet mode that will severely limit performance. The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will arrive in showrooms this fall. Expect pricing to be announced closer to its on-sale date.
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