While we all wait for the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, Dodge surprised us with the newest addition to its performance fleet – a three-row SUV. Ok, it sounds silly in some sense, but bear in mind that this SRT creation has more than enough ‘Merican Muscle Car pedigree. Massive HEMI V8 resides under the vented hood and it provides this four-wheel-drift capable machine with 475hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Not as much as a Cayenne Turbo, or any of the sublime BMW Motorsport X cars, but this thing will cost a fraction of their price anyway. It will cost less than a Grand Cherokee SRT as well.
Now, the thing about this isn’t exactly logical, but Dodge is not trying to be a logical company, are they!? It all really depends on the way one may look at it. It walks the thin line between the market needs and the insanity of the world of today. It’s like an ultimate toy to drive your kids to school then slash some BMW M3 E92 driver from the lights to 60 mph. Durango SRT will do it in 4.4 seconds. Imagine that. And it’ll cover a quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds. That’s 0.3 seconds slower than that M3. Awesome.
SRT probably went through a nightmare while sporting up the Durango. It’s easy to stick a massive 392ci engine inside, but to make it all work right isn’t. That is why we have seen that Durango Shaker concept back at 2016 in SEMA. Apart from a hyped up engine, the Durango SRT got Brembo six-piston brakes with 15 and 13.8-inch rotors. Behind it sits a complex and cool suspension system. SRT crafted with 21st century in mind meaning it’s fully adjustable. One can manage many things through the infotainment system in the cabin. This includes power distribution, shifting patterns, suspension stiffness, throttle response and other. And then there’s the special Track mode. In a three row, six seater SUV, remember. Honestly, all this sounds so insane and inappropriate, we can’t yet wrap our heads around it.
To make it sensible in some way and appealing to the people who should actually buy it, Dodge softened it with some stuff. See, those 20-inch wheels can also tow a lot. The Durango SRT tow rating at 8,600 lbs makes it even more capable than a 5.7 liter “normal” model. SRT hid the hitch between the dual exhaust to make it all look nice and cool. Then, there’s noise canceling system working with the cylinder deactivation system. One would probably use this driving their mother in law, or maybe kids to school. It makes sense that way.
But don’t think for a minute, it went too soft. See, it even has a glowing SRT badge on the steering wheel, these red seats and an 8.4-inch display where the driver can interface with everything important. Not Facebook and Instagram, but oil temperature, 0-60 mph time, g-forces and other. It’s called the Performance Pages graph. Much the same as in other SRT monstrosities. While talking about other SRT products let us stress that the Durango SRT should sound as a Charger SRT. It’s dialed that way thanks to a massive 2.75-inch dual exhaust system. Heck, even Mark Trostle, head of design for Dodge and SRT said – “It really is our three-row Charger”. So, that’s that. A three-row SUV with a 180 mph speedometer. Enjoy America!!!