There are all types of causes to purchase a brand new automotive. You want one thing dependable for commuting to work. You’ve acquired a household to schlep round. You have to haul plywood, or tow your boat to the lake. All of those are nice causes to think about one thing like a Jeep Grand Cherokee.But this 707-horsepower Trackhawk? You purchase that one as a result of you may.Jeep meets HellcatThe 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee is obtainable in a dozen or so totally different fashions, together with an already-fast SRT variant. You’ll have the ability to inform a Trackhawk from lesser Grand Cherokees due to its bulgy physique work, yellow brake calipers and quad exhaust retailers on the rear. Up entrance, you may discover cooling intakes the place the SRT mannequin’s foglights often stay.
No fog lights right here, simply performance-enhancing intakes.
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The Trackhawk is the range-topping Grand Cherokee, with a 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 engine — the identical one you may discover within the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats. 707 horsepower is complemented by 645 pound-feet of torque, and mixed with an 8-speed automated transmission, scoots this 5,300-plus-pound, all-wheel-drive SUV to 60 miles per hour in simply 3.5 seconds, on its strategy to a high pace of 180 mph.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the quickest gas-powered SUV you should buy at this time. Sure, a Tesla Model X is a bit of bit faster in its strongest trim, however electrical automobiles aren’t for everybody. And falcon doorways are foolish.While the Trackhawk will fortunately toddle alongside like another five-passenger SUV, it is at its greatest once you’re digging deep into the throttle. Smash the fuel and the Jeep hunkers down on its haunches, the transmission kicks down and also you blast ahead such as you’re coming into a wormhole into one other dimension. You can hear the supercharger’s high-pitched wine, accompanied by the fantastic rumble of that massive V8. The solely factor louder is my maniacal laughter.Happily, the Trackhawk is not only a straight-line star. On nice backroads, third gear retains the engine on boil, proper within the coronary heart of its torque band between 3,500 and 5,500 rpm. Easy on the brakes, and the Jeep settles properly right into a flip, the place a heavy steering wheel communicates what’s taking place the place the tires meet the street.Huge Brembo brakes present unimaginable stopping energy, with 16-inch rotors with 6-piston calipers up entrance, in addition to 14-inch rotors with four-piston calipers out again. There’s stable pedal really feel with a predictable chunk level, however slam on the stoppers and the Jeep’s rear finish can get a bit squirrely, even in a straight line.The Trackhawk is prepared, prepared and capable of squeal its tires on a closed street course.
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The Jeep’s Sport mode is greatest suited to this type of driving, with its stiffer suspension settings and reprogrammed shift mapping. There’s a Track mode, should you’re up for it, nevertheless it makes the experience high quality a bit too harsh for public roads. Auto, Snow and Tow modes are additionally on supply, for every day driving situations, unhealthy climate or when it’s essential put the Grand Cherokee to work.
Other high-performance SUVs just like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW X5 M are a bit extra swish, however they’re additionally much more costly. The Jeep cannot deal with twisty roads with the identical child of finesse, nevertheless it’ll nonetheless entertain you each day.Just bear in mind, all that high-horsepower goodness comes at an enormous gasoline expense. The EPA charges the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk at 11 miles per gallon metropolis, 17 mpg freeway and 13 mpg mixed, however exploit all that energy at each inexperienced gentle like I did and you may see poor numbers. My common after per week? Just 10.6 mpg.
And whereas the Jeep title is synonymous with off-road credibility, that is not what this Grand Cherokee is for. With 20-inch wheels shod in 295/45-series Pirelli P Zero tires, this factor is made for asphalt solely.Nice-ish, spacious-ishThe Trackhawk’s inside is comfy, however removed from actually luxurious. My tester has the complete, over-the-top purple leather-based scheme, which appeals to my more-is-more aesthetic. Material high quality is ok, principally, however not nice — and positively not so good as what you may get within the Jeep’s pricier rivals.The purple leather-based is an costly possibility…and I like it.
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Rear passengers have satisfactory house, and in reality, the Jeep boasts extra headroom than a 2018 BMW X5 M. Cargo capability behind the second row can also be solely common, with 36.3 cubic toes of house on supply. Fold the seats down and you will get 68.3 cubic toes, which is smaller than what’s supplied within the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 (76.7) and the aforementioned X5 M (80.3).Tons of ordinary techOnboard tech is in excessive provide, with an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system normal, full with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The Trackhawk’s occasion of Uconnect additionally will get efficiency pages, the place I can monitor g-forces and efficiency information, and arrange parameters for the launch management. Two USB ports up entrance are joined by two extra for back-seat passengers, and there is a 12-volt outlet within the heart console for powering different gadgets.Driver’s aids are plentiful, normal and customizable. Lane-keeping help might be set to early, medium or late intervention, and the steering help has the identical three settings, as effectively. Similarly, blind-spot monitoring might be set to offer an audio or visible warning, or each. You’ll most likely wish to simply maintain it on the visible setting, because the aural alert is fairly loud.Performance Pages assist drivers get essentially the most out of that 707-horsepower monster engine.
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Adaptive cruise management is normal and may deliver the large Trackhawk to a whole cease and pause for a couple of seconds. After a easy faucet of the fuel or click on of the “resume” button, the Jeep will get up and going once more.How I might spec itThe 2019 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk begins at $86,650, however can rapidly climb to a six-figure price ticket. The tester you see right here is available in only a few hundred bucks beneath that lofty $100,000 mark. That’s some huge cash, to make certain.I might attempt to maintain the value down a bit by deleting the $2,095 panoramic sunroof. It’s costly, and I do not really want it. The purple leather-based is good, nevertheless it’s additionally some huge cash — $4,995 — and forces me so as to add a $2,095 audio system, as effectively. Pass.Instead, I am going to simply get the $995 towing bundle. Since the Trackhawk is rated to tow 7,200 kilos, that is makes it fairly succesful for hauling. I am going to additionally add $895 for sticky, three-season tires. This retains my dream Grand Cherokee Trackhawk at $90,035, together with $1,495 for vacation spot.Irrational and superiorIt’s robust to search out an SUV that is this bonkers at a cheaper value level. The BMW X5 M prices over $100,000 proper from the get-go, and add one other $8,000 or so to that in order for you a Mercedes-AMG GLE63. A Range Rover Sport SVR is one other nice possibility, however once more, you are taking a look at $113,900 to start out.Perhaps the strongest argument in opposition to a Trackhawk is the already-wonderful Grand Cherokee SRT. With 475 horsepower, it is nonetheless loads quick, and begins at $68,145 — a full $18,505 lower than the Trackhawk.Really, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the reply to a query no person requested. It’s over-the-top, loud, brash and completely pointless. But that is additionally precisely why I like it.