Jeep Grand Cherokee to Get 700-hp Hellcat Engine

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV next year will offer its 6.2-liter Hellcat V-8 engine in a new Trackhawk version of its Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, reports Car and Driver magazine. Pricing is expected to start at about $65,000.

Introduced last year in high-output versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger cars, the supercharged Hellcat V-8 kicks out a jaw-dropping 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.

In the Grand Cherokee, the Hellcat likely will be teamed with an upgraded four-wheel-drive system and other enhancements to better handle the monster engine's performance. But driveline challenges could require low-speed torque to be electronically limited or, in a worst case scenario, force Jeep to do without 4wd, CD notes.

The magazine estimates that the Hellcat-propelled Grand Cherokee could flirt with a four-second 0-60 mph time and cover a quarter mile in about 12 seconds.

The Grand Cherokee is expected to maintain its current range-topping, 475-hp 6.4-liter V-8 as a second option under the Trailhawk banner. Jeep will drop its SRT badging (short for Street and Racing Technology), which now will be exclusive to Dodge. No word yet on whether sister division Ram will get a Hellcat too.