Dodge’s current Durango isn’t the most popular three-row crossover at the moment, but it’s one of the best without any doubt. At least we think so. It has decent equipment, handsome styling, and a pretty muscular stance, which you won’t see quite often these days. However, the sale figures never lies, and they say that the carmaker has to change something. Yes, we know that they plan a mid-cycle refresh for this year, but this won’t be all. Our sources say that the manufacturer currently works on the 2018 Dodge Durango Hellcat. Moreover, we got the first spy shot that confirms that.
Okay, the half-camouflaged prototype doesn’t reveal much, but the sound said everything. According to them, the SUV that was passing by was growling as it’s using a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine. Yes, the same one that powers the Challenger and Charger Hellcats. This means that the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk won’t be the only Hellcat-powered SUV. So it should not be the only SUV available that reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds either. As you probably know, the Hellcat engine delivers a whopping 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, and we are absolutely positive that the 2018 Dodge Durango Hellcat gets all available power. This is Dodge after all.
On the other hand, there are certain reports that indicate that there will be no such a thing as the Hellcat-powered Durango. More precisely, Automotive News said that it won’t that hot under the hood of the refreshed model. They rather believe in something less potent, as it’s the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT. We are not so sure about it, and not that we would be disappointed with a 475 hp strong a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, but the Hellcat sounds better. One thing is sure: No matter which one comes, it will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Like we said, the camouflaged front end doesn’t reveals much, yet we managed to see the same details. There is a completely redesigned bulging hood with scoops, as well as a significantly more pronounced bumper, possibly with larger air inlets. The carmaker could do something with the headlights, yet we are not able to figure out now what’s happening beneath the camo. In the back, the refreshed 2018 Durango gets nothing new, but we are sure that the carmaker prepares at least new taillights for the production model.
The 2018 Dodge Durango Hellcat should be ready pretty soon, so we are pretty sure it will come up at one of the big auto shows during this year (most likely at the 2017 New York Auto Show). The actual price isn’t known at the moment, yet we think it will cost around $80K.
