Well, here it is, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in all it’s glory. The fastest and most powerful Jeep ever made and possibly the fastest production non-electric SUV on the planet.
Jeep has taken the full-fat 527kW, 875Nm 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 from the Dodge Hellcat models with its heavy-duty eight-speed auto, and hooked it up to an all-wheel drive drivetrain and stuffed it under a soccer mum friendly body. As a result, the Trackhawk can cover 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, and burn down the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds. It tops out at 290km/h.
Like the upcoming Challenger SRT Demon, the Trackhawk is able to launch cleanly thanks to a Torque Reserve to manage torque before the brakes are released for the cleanest getaway possible. Another feature shared with that upcoming flagship is the A/C evaporator’s dual purpose as a means to cool the intake charge.
Over the current performance flagship, the SRT, the Trackhawk increases lateral g-force from 0.87 to 0.88g thanks to nine per cent stiffer springs and different Bilstein damper settings. Large diameter brake rotors are used with yellow paint for the Brembo calipers.
Externally there are subtle differences from the SRT, with 20-inch alloys, intakes in lieu of fog lights, quad exhaust outlets, and badging that denotes ‘Supercharged’ and ‘Trackhawk’.
Inside, differences extend to a ‘Trackhawk’ logo on the bottom of the steering wheel and a 320km/h speedometer. Uconnect now features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
No word at this stage of an Australian debut, but we’re sure many would desperately love to get their hands on one if it comes here. See below for the handy driving modes on offer:
- Auto — Automatically adapts to any condition; uses a 40/60 front/rear torque split
- Sport — Transmission shift times are reduced by 50 percent versus Auto Mode; stability control, four-wheel-drive and steering systems are set for typical enthusiast driving style; paddle shifters are enabled and suspension is tightened up without increasing impact harshness to deliver increased vehicle performance capability over Auto Mode; uses 35/65 torque split
- Track — Transmission shift times are reduced 68percent versus Auto Mode to 160ms; stability control, four-wheel-drive and steering systems are set for ultimate track performance; paddle shifters are enabled and suspension is set to full firm to deliver maximum vehicle performance capability on smooth, dry surfaces; uses 30/70 torque split
- Tow — Alters torque delivery off the line for greater smoothness and adjusts suspension to combat pitch and yaw to deliver maximum towing performance: uses 60/40 torque split
- Snow — Maximises traction to deliver optimised performance on snow and ice with reduced engine horsepower; uses 50/50 torque split
