Quite recently, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis created a furor when he mentioned that the days of the Dodge Challenger Demon may be numbered in that all gasoline-performance engines may be coming to an end, considering the future may be electric. And this does not mean that the days of performance are limited.
With electric vehicles touted as being the next best thing since, well, emission control that killed the muscle car, the days of Dodge’s SRT division are also coming to an end. Again, it's only the division that being shut down and technically, all the manpower and acumen is being re-absorbed into Stellantis’ vision of the new Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat as well as Peugeot, Citroën, Alfa Romeo, Opel, Maserati, and many others.
Originally the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat was to be a limited production run that ended its run in June 2021. But the automaker recently made a shocking revelation of bringing back this mad SUV for another run as a 2023 MY. And this decision has pissed many 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat owners, as they feel that this move will drastically pull down the value of their machines.
Updated September 2022: The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is the wickedest SUV you can buy right now. And this bad boy is making a shocking return for a second run as a 2023 MY. We have updated this article with all you need to know about the beefed-up devil's return!
The History Of The Dodge Durango
The Dodge Durango entered the scene in 1998 at a very confusing time for Chrysler when it kept merging and unmerging with other groups in a desperate bid to stay afloat. At its debut, the Durango came owned by the Chrysler Corporation but soon after the company became the DaimlerChrysler.
This lasted till 2007 when the merger broke off and Chrysler became Chrysler LLC. In 2009, Chrysler LLC closed the plant where the Durango was made, so the midsize SUV was discontinued only to be reintroduced in 2011. By 2014, Chrysler and Fiat merged to become FCA US LLC, and now 2021 has brought in yet another merger.
Today, the Dodge Durango as well as all other Dodge cars and brands come under Stellantis, a company formed by the merger of FCA and the Peugeot group. From then to now, more than 1.9 million examples of the Durango have sold around the world.
In 2018, Dodge introduced the Durango SRT as their high-performance trim level that carried a 6.4-liter Hemi V8. And for 2021, they announced the Dodge SRT Hellcat, as a single-year model only.
Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Is Wicked Fast
The moment you say, Hellcat, you know the car is going to have one of the most powerful engines Dodge can produce and supercharge. Accordingly, the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat carries a 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 that makes a crazy 710 horsepower and an equally insane 645 ft-lb of torque, spinning all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Blown away? Wait till you hear its 0-60 mph whiz time. A mind-blowing 3.5 seconds makes it faster than many of the coolest and most expensive cars today. In fact, it’s almost as fast as a Ferrari 458 Italia and has the weight and power to actually drive over it! The top speed is 180 mph and a quarter-mile sprint can be done in 11.5 seconds, as long as you don’t cry for your momma and hit the brakes instead.
All this power cannot come cheap and a fully-loaded Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat can cost you $100,000. Even a used Ferrari 458 Italia can cost double that amount, plus, the Durango can also let you barrel down highways at high speeds while hauling some friend or family with you for the ride.
The 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat was priced from $80,995 and there were plenty of packages that you can keep adding to take its price all the way up to six figures. And trust us, you would want to…
The Limited-Run Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Is Back
The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat was always supposed to be a single-year-only model and some 2,000 examples were the originally planned run. Production began at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit, Michigan earlier in 2021 and production is likely to end by June, although Dodge is making more than just 2,000 of these.
Apparently, there has been unprecedented demand for this crazy mid-size SUV and Dodge is only too happy to oblige its fans with as much power as they can handle, if not more. Accordingly, every 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat also entitles the buyer to a whole day of training at the Bondurant High-Performance Driving School in Chandler, Arizona; because this kind of crazy power needs an able and steady hand on the steering as well.
All of it was said and sealed, and people who couldn't get hands on this mental SUV were sad. Dodge was clearly moved by their emotions. Otherwise, what else would explain the automaker's surprise move to bring the Durango SRT Hellcat back from the dead!
The 2023 Durango SRT Hellcat will have the same specs and pack the wicked 710 hp supercharged 6.2-Liter HEMI V8. New for 2023 are two available feature package - Plus and Premium that adds more comfort, utility, and visual features. The SUV also gets two new colors - Triple-Nickel (PSE) and Frostbite (PCA).
The pricing and availability of the 2023 Durango SRT Hellcat is still undercover, but we expect it to start from around the same price as the 2021 MY - $81,000. And the number of units to be made solely depends on part-availability and customer demand; as said by Dodge CEO, Tim Kuniskis to Moparinsiders.
Source: Stellantis North America