While we were fast asleep, Dodge decided to do a whole host of reveals which included the facelifted Durango SUV.
With this refresh, Dodge now offers the Durango SRT Hellcat which thanks to its 710 hp (529 kW) supercharged V8 becomes the most powerful production SUV in the world.
Yes, it is just 3 hp more powerful than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk but that still earns it the top spot on the power podium. The anger comes courtesy of a massive 2.4-litre supercharger with twin-screw rotors, capable of spinning 14,600 rpm and delivering boost pressures of 11.6 psi. Charge-air coolers integrated into the supercharger, comprised of a water pump, coolant reservoir, and heat exchanger, keep intake air temperatures at the optimum level.
This grunt allows the SUV to sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds and will top out at 180 mph (290 km/h).
The Durango’s transformation is more than just an engine transplant, though. It needed a significant amount of bodywork and muscle building to tame the beastly mill which included a forged steel crankshaft, pistons, and connecting rods, as well as piston-cooling oil jets and block-cooling water jackets.
A pair of variable-pressure fuel pumps, a supercharger-feeding cold air scoop in the lower body, and a free-flowing dual exhaust with a crossover X-pipe ensure proper engine operation in both low- and high-load conditions.
The same eight-speed transmission and Brembo brakes found in the Trackhawk is carried over.
