The much-hinted at and much-spied 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has been revealed boasting 527kW and 874Nm, able to get from 0-100km/h in 3.6secs.
THE 2018 JEEP Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has been revealed boasting a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 thumping out 527kW and 874Nm of torque. Able to hit 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds (and back to stop again in 36m – Trackhawk gets the biggest brakes ever offered on a Grand Cherokee) it is the most powerful and fastest SUV Jeep has ever produced. Indeed, the brand claims: “the most awarded SUV ever and the most capable full-size SUV on the planet has been transformed into the most powerful and quickest SUV ever”.
The new Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will go on-sale in the US later this year but there are currently no plans for it to arrive Down Under. That said, FCA Australia boss, Steve Zanlunghi is on the record as saying he’d have both hands up for the Trackhawk to come to Australia and he’s a bloke determined to rebuild the brand here, so, maybe we can hold our breath…
The Trackhawk gets the same eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission as other Grand Cherokees and runs and on-demand all-wheel drive system, but has copped a bunch of strengthening tweaks to ensure the driveline doesn’t tear itself apart with all that power and torque being twisted through it. It gets a stronger driveshaft which connects to a new and stronger rear axle, the Trackhawk, with a bunch of other stronger nuts and bolts in between.
The Trackhawk offers a tuned version of the standard Selec-Track system and is tuned for five different modes the driver can choose from, including Auto, Sport, Track and Tow. Selecting one of these modes will adjust things like torque split, transmission shift pattern, suspension and the electric-assist power steering. The driver is also able to build their own ‘individual’ setting.
- Auto: Automatically adapts to any condition; uses a 40:60 front/rear torque split;
- Sport: Transmission shift times are reduced by 50% versus Auto Mode; stability control, four-wheel-drive and steering systems are set for typical enthusiast driving style: paddle shifters are enabled and suspension is tightened up without increasing impact harshness to deliver increased vehicle performance capability over Auto Mode; uses 35:65 torque split;
- Track: Transmission shift times are reduced 68% versus Auto Mode to 160ms; stability control, four-wheel-drive and steering systems are set for ultimate track performance; paddle shifters are enabled and suspension is set to full firm to deliver maximum vehicle performance capability on smooth, dry surfaces; uses 30:70 torque split;
- Tow: Alters torque delivery off the line for greater smoothness and adjusts suspension to combat pitch and yaw to deliver maximum towing performance: uses 60:40 torque split (the maximum braked towing capacity is 3272kg); and
- Snow: Maximises traction to deliver optimised performance on snow and ice with reduced engine horsepower; uses 50:50 torque split.
The Trackhawk sits 25mm lower than non- SRT Grand Cherokees and stand out from the SRT pack with body-coloured flared wheel arches, and dual heat extractors in the bonnet. There are no fog lights on Trackhawk to “optimise airflow to cooling modules and air induction without compromising the vehicle’s balance”. Standard Trackhawk wheels are 20×10-inch and wrapped in 295/45ZR20 Scorpion Verde All-Season rubber, while a lightweight wheel, saving 5.5kg, is also available; this wheel is wrapped in Pirelli P Zero three-season rubber.
Trackhawk is available in Billet Silver, Granite Crystal, Diamond Black, Ivory Tri-coat, Bright White, Velvet Red, Rhino, Redline and True Blue.
Climb inside and there’s a 7-inch driver information display with a tachometer in the middle and a speedo to the left. The dashboard is dominated by the 8.4-inch touchscreen which offers Performance Pages, allowing the driver to scroll through lap timers, gauges and a new engine dynamometer screen that displays instantaneous horsepower, torque and the gear; there’s a snapshot function that allows the driver to take a screen grab of this… The Trackhawk offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and voice control.
The standard car gets a Nappa leather interior, while a Signature leather pack is also available which features ‘Trackhawk’ embossed into the seat. A dual-pane panoramic glass roof is also available.
What about safety? The Trackhawk offers a valet mode which reduces power and torque and rev-limits the thing to 4000rpm, disables the steering-mounted paddles, locks out first gear and shifts gears earlier, locks the stability control on and disables launch control. Beyond this it’s also got Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop; Advanced Brake Assist; Blind-spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path Detection; Full-speed Forward Collision Warning with Crash Mitigation; Front and Rear Park Assist; Lane Departure Warning-Plus; and Ready Alert Braking.
Question: Should Jeep Australia beg, borrow and steal to ensure the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk makes it Down Under?
I currently own a 2013 Jeep SRT. If they announced the trackhawk for oz I’d be straight down to the dealer to put a deposit down. I was thinking about either the upcoming Mercedes glc 63 amg or the jaguar f pace v8 (not yet announced but inevitable) to replace my jeep. But the thought of the experience of owning a 707hp (sorry I’m from the uk originally and still think in good old horsepower rather than kw!) is just too tempting. And a trackhawk will definitely be way cheaper than the aforementioned euros too! Come on Jeep there’s plenty of enthusiasts here in oz that would stump up for the Trackhawk…