2017 New York - Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is what dreams are made of

Have you ever wished to pilot an automobile that could keep pace with the Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches of the world on a casual sprint but wouldn’t come to a screeching halt when the roads dry up leaving you in slush, sand or snow? We enthusiasts crave for something like that, don’t we? 

Well, our wish is granted. Thank Jeep for unleashing the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk amidst the glitz and grandeur of the ongoing 2017 New York Auto Show.

Let’s get straight to the numbers. Supercharged V8 under the hood. 6.2 liters of displacement. 707 horsepower. 875 Nm of torque. 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. Quarter mile in just 11.6 seconds. Sounds insane, right? Well, it ought to be. 

After all, we are talking about the fastest SUV on earth, a title that the Bentley Bentayga and the Tesla Model X P90D claimed on their debuts not so long back! The latter in 'Ludicrous Mode' is even faster though. 

Despite its tarmac-scorching credentials, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is still very much a Jeep underneath. That means you can actually take this vehicle off-road as much as you hit the race track. Who wouldn’t want to own one of these?

The 707 horses generated by the HEMI V8 monster under the hood are transferred to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission and a single speed transfer case that's bolstered with a wider chain and forged sprockets. Under normal conditions, the torque split between the front and rear axle is 40:60. The distribution changes to 35:65 in Sport mode, 30:70 in Track mode and 50:50 in Snow mode. There is also an electronic limited slip differential at the back that helps tackle slippery terrain while Jeep engineers have had to strengthen the rear drive shaft and half shafts to ensure all the horses don't go helter skelter. Completing the package is a high-performance suspension with adaptive Bilstein shocks and powerful six-piston Brembo calipers mounted on 20-inch wheels.

The beauty of this beast is it’s ‘wolf in sheep’s clothes’ styling. You will be hard pressed to call out a Trackhawk from a SRT over a casual glance. Look closer though and the multitude of ‘Supercharged’ and ‘Trackhawk’ badges can’t be missed. While the subtle changes might seem insufficient for the performance on tap, there are no complaints as the Grand Cherokee is amongst the best-looking SUVs out there. Adding to the good looks are the bumper skirts and fender flares that convey the Trackhawk’s sporty intentions.

The interiors are similar to the regular Grand Cherokee with prominent Trackhawk lettering in the steering wheel and the seats. Black chrome and carbon fiber accents differentiate this range-topping model from the regulars while leather packages in Dark Ruby Red as shown in the picture are optional. Dodge’s SRT 'Performance Pages' that help monitor vital engine parameters and review lap times and G-forces are standard while a panoramic sunroof and a 825-watt sound system are also on offer. 

When Dodge launched the Challenger Hellcat and Charger Hellcat a couple of years back, not in our wildest dreams did we think we would see a Grand Cherokee Hellcat. Here we are, though, ogling at one in all its glory. Give us time to recover before dropping the next bomb, Fiat-Chrysler.