Does Dodge Make a Durango With the Supercharged Hellcat Engine?
Dodge’s SRT team unveiled the supercharged Hellcat engine in 2015. The automaker now offers the 700+ horsepower engine in Chargers, Challengers, the Ram 1500 TRX, and even a Jeep Grand Cherokee. MOPAR muscle fans were excited for the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT available for the Hellcat engine for the first time. The AWD SUV is a juggernaut. Sadly, it was only a one-year option.
The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT was available with the Hellcat engine
Dodge’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team took on the Durango platform in 2018. The team upgraded the SUV with AWD, dampers, anti-roll bars, and a specially tuned 6.4-liter HEMI V8 borrowed from the “Scat Pack” Challengers and Chargers.
For the 2021 model year, SRT pulled out all the stops. The team upgraded the Durango SRT with the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat engine. The resulting SUV is rated at 710 horsepower. 70% of that power goes to its rear wheels while its AWD system can channel up to 30% to the front.
In addition to borrowing the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s AWD system, SRT upgraded the Durango’s suspension. The engineers added internal rebound springs to the SUV’s dampers. This effectively reduces body roll without the shortcomings of stiffer anti-roll bars.
The Durango Hellcat makes 710 horsepower and is faster than the Charger Redeye
The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat blew the doors off its competition. Its AWD layout enabled it to reach 60 mph faster than most other SRT products and stay ahead through the 1/4-mile.
The top-trim SRT Charger for 2021 was the Charger Hellcat Redeye, complete with a widebody kit. SRT even tuned its engine for 797 horsepower and bumped its tires to 11-inch-wide units. Still, the 4,600 pound, RWD Hellcat Redeye struggles off the line. MotorTrend found its fastest 0-60 mph time 4.0 seconds. It continued through the 1/4-mile in 11.9 seconds.
When MotorTrend ran the same test on the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the results were jaw-dropping. The SUV rocketed to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. It did the 1/4-mile in 11.7 seconds, finishing at 117.3 mph.
The Durango SRT Hellcat was not only faster than the fastest Charger. A 0-60 MPH time makes it quicker than a Mustang Shelby GT500!
The supercharged Durango was short-lived
In summer 2021, Dodge announced plans to kill the Durango. The brand is teasing an all-new, eMuscle lineup. So the current chassis’ days are numbered. Dodge has announced it will continue to build the current Challenger, Charger, and Durango through the 2022 and 2023 model years. But by the end of 2023, it will stop manufacturing all current models.
Dodge announced the end of this era for the Charger and Challenger and also announced all-new editions. The first new option is the “jailbreak” model, combining previously locked color and feature combinations. More high-end SRT models may be on the horizon.
The Durango, on the other hand, is being pruned back. One variant on the chopping block, perhaps for emissions reasons, is the SRT Hellcat. Sadly, the incredible 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is not returning for the 2022 model year.
