Jeep has finally unveiled the new Hellcat powered 2018 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and CarAndDriver has dissected its components, looking at it through a microscope to analyze the fine details even a Jeep enthusiasts could miss.
Compared to the Mercedes-AMG G65, which for years held onto the title of the world’s most powerful production SUV, the Trackhawk may be a bit lacking in torque but it more than makes up for that in power at 707hp. The Hellcat had to be rearranged to fit inside the Grand Cherokee’s engine bay and in the process, some torque was lost.
What’s interesting was the reason behind Jeep engineers’ need to ditch the fog lights for intake ducts. Turns out, the Hellcat V-8 sucks in more than 1000 cubic feet of air per minute at speed and the extra airflow was needed for the passenger’s-side oil cooler and the engine air box. Another fun fact, the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission can changes gears in as little as 160 milliseconds.
On track, the Trackhawk logged a zero-to-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds and 13.0 instead of the 3.5 seconds released by Jeep. Maybe it’s the tires, or track condition. At least the SUV more than makes up for the time difference with its supercharger symphony and there’s no fake amplification to be found.
All of this could cost around $80,000 and that may seem like a lot, but if it’s accurate then the Trackhawk would only cost you a third of an entry level AMG G65.
