2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk: The Hellcat Hasn’t Been Neutered

FCA Left All of the Hellcat’s 707 Horsepower and Almost All of Its Torque Under the Hood of the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

We knew it was coming and now it’s – finally! – here. The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in all of its 707-horsepower, Hellcat-powered glory.

There was some concern earlier this year that Jeep engineers would have to detune the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 to keep it from scrambling the Trackhawk’s drivetrain. They did, but not by much. Whereas the Hellcat makes 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque in the Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat siblings, it generates only five fewer lb-ft in the Trackhawk.

There’s also not a huge difference between the exterior of the Trackhawk and the Grand Cherokee SRT. The biggest exterior changes designers made to the Trackhawk were deleting its fog lights to allow more air to flow to the engine intake and oil cooler, slapping on some “Supercharged” and “Trackhawk” badges, and installing four black chrome exhaust tips. Inside, there are Nappa leather and suede seats, a speedo that goes all the way up to 200 mph, genuine metal trim, embroidered Berber floor mats, and an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen, which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That touchscreen can also be used to display exclusive Trackhawk Performance Pages. If Jeep’s estimates are correct, those should show that the Trackhawk can go from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, run a quarter mile in 11.6 seconds at a final speed of 116 mph, generate 0.88 g in lateral grip, and top out at 180 mph. The 15.75-inch front brakes/6-piston Brembo calipers and 13.78-inch rear brakes/4-piston calipers should bring the Trackhawk to a stop from 60 mph in 114 feet.

The eight-speed Torqueflite transmission has been upgraded to handle towing duties – up to 7,200 pounds of them – and can swap gears in as little as 160 milliseconds in its Track setting. A 1-speed Quadra-Trac MP 3015C transfer case splits front/rear torque delivery 60/40 percent in tow mode, 30/70 in track mode, 50/50 in snow mode, and 40/60 in auto mode.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but Motor Trend is thinking the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will have a starting price of about $84,500.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Motor Trend]

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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