Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk: Which Is Faster?

The Hellcat engine is one of the most powerful engines ever produced by Dodge. The engine is infamous for its high horsepower ratings and the notorious supercharger whine created by the massive twin-screw supercharger. It's an iconic powerplant that defines an era at Dodge and at its sister companies. The Hellcat engine is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that originally powered the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcats. In various applications over the years, it made over 700 horsepower, and it's the perfect pairing for Dodge's fraternal-twin muscle cars.

More than a muscle-car exclusive, however, the Hellcat engine has been adapted for all sorts of vehicles, including the Ram TRX, and two family SUVs: the Durango SRT Hellcat and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. In both of these SUVs, the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 makes its typical power rating of over 700 horses, but is it just as potent in big family haulers as it is in muscle cars like the Challenger and Charger? And which one of these Hellcat-powered carpool machines is faster?

According to Dodge, the Durango Hellcat will go from 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. That number is backed up by an NHRA certification, and it's a timeframe that's normally reserved for fast sports cars. The quarter mile takes just 11.5 seconds for the Dodge, which will eventually reach a top speed of 180 mph. Those are the kinds of numbers you'd expect from something like a Corvette, but when you put an engine under the hood of your three-row SUV that's producing 710 horsepower, expectations are raised.

When Car and Driver tested a Durango Hellcat, it went from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds — very close to the claimed time from Dodge. The quarter mile was a bit further off the claimed pace from Dodge, taking 12 seconds to complete at 115 mph, but it was definitely close. Those numbers are made all the more impressive when you consider that the Durango Hellcat offers three rows of seating and weighs 5,534 pounds. But how about the Trackhawk?

Jeep is a brand that's synonymous with off-roading and even the Grand Cherokee, one of their most popular family SUVs, is available with off-road capable trims. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk however, goes in a different direction. It has big Brembo brakes, an aggressive front fascia to allow for more air flow, and that big supercharged 6.2-liter V8 under the hood. Jeep claims a 0-60 mph time of just 3.5 seconds with the Trackhawk, and a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds. And it turns out those numbers are nearly spot on. 

When Car and Driver tested the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, it went from 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds — one tenth of a second quicker than the Dodge. It crossed the quarter-mile mark in 12 seconds, however, exactly the same as the Dodge. Even the trap speed of 115 mph was the same. The Durango is rated at 710 horsepower, so it slightly outdoes the Trackhawk which is rated at 707 horsepower, but that small difference doesn't show up in acceleration or top speed. The Grand Cherokee weighed in at 5,258 pounds (about 300 pounds less than the Durango), so that may have given it an edge in off-the-line acceleration, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference at the finish line. So which one is faster? The Trailhawk, but only by the slimmest of margins.