Dodge Introduces Durango Hellcat as ‘Most Powerful SUV of All Time’

Fiat Chrysler is purifying its Dodge performance brand by increasing the offerings of its muscle cars and its Durango SUV, while discontinuing a minivan and crossover for the 2021 model year.

The automaker unveiled a new “Hellcat SRT” model of the Durango 2021 SUV on Thursday, calling it “the most powerful SUV in history.” The high-performance variant features a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V8 engine that will deliver 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque.

“We are a complete and distilled performance brand,” Tim Kuniskis, head of Fiat Chrysler’s passenger car division in North America, told CNBC. “To do that, it was the perfect time to bring the most powerful versions of all of them. It just made sense to do them all at the same time” with the interruption of the other models.

Production of the Dodge Journey crossover and Dodge Grand Caravan minivan will end later this year. The vehicles were expected to be discontinued years ago. The automaker continued to produce them as sales remained relatively stable largely due to their lower costs compared to other competitors and similar vehicles offered by other Fiat Chrysler brands.

The automaker, according to Kuniskis, is expected to produce fewer than 2,000 of the 2021 Durango Hellcat models, which will go into production early next year. The high-performance SUV will only be offered one model year due to emissions regulations starting the following year, he said.

The automaker currently offers Hellcat models for its Dodge Challenger and Charger cars. While these models represent a small amount of sales for the brand, they are considered “halo” or “hype” products that attract buyers to the overall brand. They have helped Dodge maintain relatively stable sales amid new competitors and as consumer preferences carry over to crossovers.

“Our vision was very clear,” said Kuniskis regarding the new SUV. “Our goal was to deliver a Dodge: big, bold and aggressive. A three-row supercharged Hemi sports car.”

Fiat Chrysler has sold more than 40,000 Hellcat models since they were launched for the 2015 model year.

The new Hellcat model is part of an updated line for the 2021 Durango, which will begin hitting showrooms this fall. The changes include exterior styling tweaks and significant interior improvements, including a redesigned driver’s cab and a next-generation infotainment system available with a 10.1-inch touchscreen.

Fiat Chrysler also unveiled on Thursday new performance models of the Charger and Challenger for the 2021 model year, including a “Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye” model capable of nearly 800 horsepower and 0 to 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds. .

“We are giving our enthusiastic, vocal and very vocal patients exactly what they want: more performance,” Kuniskis told reporters during a press conference.