The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat has had an absolute roller coaster of a production cycle. Dodge offered the monstrous SUV in 2021 and intended to sell only 2,000 units in the model year. The manufacturer had stated that the strict emission regulations would mean that the Durango Hellcat won't be making a comeback, and ceased its production in 2022. This broke the hearts of gearheads all over the world, especially because of how ridiculously-powered the SUV was. However, in 2023, Dodge offered them respite, bringing back the SRT SUV due to popular demand. In fact, even though the firm expanded the Durango SRT Hellcat's manufacturing, they have already sold out the entire 2023 batch already.
An absolute hit among gearheads, the Durango SRT Hellcat is a super high-performance vehicle that offers every thrill that a 710-hp supercar might give you. On top of that, it also provides the practicality of a three-row SUV. The meanest SUV money can buy today, the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is every bit as impressive as it is ridiculous. Despite deciding to move towards a greener future, Dodge decided to bring back the V8-powered monster owing to the customers' demands, which goes to show just how much gearheads love the SRT version of the Durango. In that vein, here are ten reasons why every gearhead should drive the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat.
10 The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Offers Wicked Power
Over the years, the Dodge Durango SUV has had many iterations. In 2021, Dodge gifted the Durango with the most power they had ever given it, putting it right in the league of the famed Challenger and Charger muscle cars.
With its own SRT Hellcat version that up until then had been reserved for their phenomenal muscle cars, the Durango SRT Hellcat makes a whopping 710 horsepower with 640 lb-ft of torque. Unsurprisingly, this made the Durango SRT Hellcat the most powerful SUV ever to come from the factory assembly line, thanks to the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 engine underneath its hood.
9 Dodge Trains All Durango Hellcat Owners In High-Performance Driving
Dodge has happily brought back the Durango SRT Hellcat owing to the fans clamoring for more. At the same time, the brand is also determined to take care of its customer base. Offering customers the most powerful SUV ever, Dodge also provides some level of training for Durango SRT Hellcat owners.
Every 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat owner received a full day of Dodge-sponsored training in Arizona, at the Bondurant High-Performance Driving School. This is quite understandable, as with the ludicrous power of the Durango Hellcat must also come to the necessary skills required to handle such a monstrous beast.
8 Despite Being Family-Sized, The Durango SRT Hellcat Has Face-Melting Acceleration
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The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat weighs about 5,710 lbs. Being a three-row SUV that has proven itself to be a family-suited car, the vehicle is quite practical as well. Nevertheless, all of its family-suited chops do not take away from the SRT version’s blistering power, and it is definitely one of the fastest SUVs on the planet.
The Durango SRT Hellcat comes with a huge 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 engine, along with a 2.38-liter supercharger. In a nutshell, the massive SUV goes like hell, reaching the 60 mph mark from 0 in just 3.4-seconds, beating many contemporary sports cars to the quarter mile as well.
7 Premium Trims On The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Offer Plush Interiors And Luxury
The Durango SRT Hellcat is quite unmistakably a Hellcat vehicle, focused on maximum performance and punch. However, this doesn’t mean that it completely skimps out on cabin comforts and luxuries. For the 2023 model year, the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat comes with a Plus and Premium package, both of which add more comfort and utility to the SUV.
Furthermore, these trims also add visual features to the Durango SRT Hellcat, adorning it with unique badging all around as reminders of the massive power the vehicle houses. A comfortable even at full occupancy, the Durango SRT Hellcat also uses its huge wheelbase to offer remarkable rear legroom and cargo space for longer rides on the interstate. Moreover, the Premium package comes with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, giving you the best possible music experience as you unleash all 710 horses.
6 The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Outclasses Its Rivals In Power By A Mile
The Dodge Durango SRT is the most powerful SUV from Dodge, and in its class, it remains the king of the hill. Going up against a European rival like the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLS 63, the Durango SRT Hellcat retails for almost $50,000 less, while also providing 100 more horsepower to customers.
Undeniably, the gap between the SUV and its closest rivals is a chasm, thanks to the monstrous power that the SRT provides. In fact, the vehicle could almost trade blows with a Ferrari 458 Italia, which is an Italian supercar that costs double the amount of the Durango! While it comfortably goes head-to-head with the likes of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk/SRT and the Lamborghini Urus, it is quite remarkable that one of the Durango SRT Hellcat SUV’s stronger rivals is actually the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
5 A Host Of Tech And Features Make The Durango SRT Hellcat Modern And Contemporary
Dodge hasn’t skimped on offering the most contemporary tech in the Durango SRT Hellcat. With heated Nappa leather seats, soft-touch materials throughout the cabin, and an adjustable steering wheel, the interior remains a great place to be in the SUV.
On the tech front, the 10.1-inch Uconnect infotainment screen is highly-customizable with a user-friendly UI to boot. Some features exclusive to the SRT Durango are a ‘smoke-show’ startup animation and a unique serpentine font throughout the system. Connectivity is nary an issue on the SUV, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both on offer.
4 The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Has An Undeniably Massive Road Presence
Dodge designed the Durango SRT Hellcat to be the most powerful SUV in the world, and it clearly shows. With its aggressive design, the Durango’s most powerful variant commands a massive road presence that is impossible to miss.
With its muscular body, aggressive front end, and racing stripes across the exterior, the SRT Hellcat sets itself apart from any other SUV. The chin splitter on the front adds to the look, with a snorkel remaining both aesthetic and functional for cold air induction. Of course, the sporty wheels add to the impressive stance of the vehicle, and the rear spoiler, while making it look sportier, also adds around 140lbs of downforce to the SUV at its 180-mph top speed.
3 All Of Its Power Makes The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat A Towing Monster
One might think that the track and speed-focused Dodge Durango SRT might sway away from traditional SUV duties like towing, but that is far from the case. Thanks to the massively-powered engine that the SRT Hellcat SUV houses, it can tow up to 8,700lbs
This figure is 1,000 lbs more than what the AMG GLS 63 can handle and 1,700 lbs more than the Lamborghini Urus’ 7,000-lb towing limit. With the Plus package on the Durango SRT Hellcat, one also gets a trailer tow group, which is perfect for the trailer-owners who intend on going for long weekend adventures.
2 Different Driving Modes Make The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat A Track-Ready Weapon
Dodge didn’t just throw in a massive engine and a supercharger in the Dodge Durango and call it a day. In fact, the brand developed a special engine management system in order to maximize the performance of the SUV.
In the 2023 model year, the Durango SRT Hellcat comes with distinct SRT drive modes, which are Street, Sport, and Track mode. There is also a custom mode where drivers can play around with the settings as per their own whims and fancies. With the inclusion of Launch Control, there is no doubt that Dodge is confident in the Durango SRT Hellcat’s track capabilities.
1 The Durango SRT Hellcat Will Remain A Symbol Of A Bygone V8 Era Over The Years
Let’s face it- muscle-heads aren’t too happy about how the age of the V8, as well as the internal combustion system, is coming to an end. Dodge themselves has announced that going forward, two of their most iconic vehicles, the Challenger and the Charger, are going to be all-electric.
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Thus, we must take what we can get, and a strong, massive V8 with an equally-impressive supercharger is one such example. Thus, Dodge will continue producing the Durango SRT Hellcat in smaller numbers, while their electric muscle-cars will help the brand hit efficiency targets. Going forward, not only will the SRT Durango Hellcat remain incredibly fun to drive, but the noise and feel of its engine will always be a reminder and token of a bygone V8 era, where high-performance vehicles were unapologetically wild, noisy, and chugged gas like there’s no tomorrow.