This past month, the Dodge//SRT brand finally pulled the wraps off of its long-awaited 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. The supercharged three-row SUV has been the most talked-about launch of a Dodge vehicle since the limited-edition 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. And like the Demon, the Durango SRT Hellcat will only be available for a limited time.
Powered by the proven supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V8 engine paired with the quick-shifting TorqueFlite 8HP95 8-speed automatic transmission, the three-row “muscle car” (as Dodge likes to put it) Durango joins Challenger and Charger in Hellcat form, delivering 710 horsepower and 645 lb.-ft. of torque. That amount of power is good for a 0-60 mph run of 3.5 seconds, has a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) certified quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5-seconds, and a top speed of 180 mph. The Durango SRT Hellcat on FCA’s own 2.1-mile road course is approximately 1.5-seconds (or 9 car lengths) faster than the 475 horsepower 2021 Dodge Durango SRT392 model, in a one-lap shootout.
In a recent interview with the website Muscle Cars & Trucks, Tim Kuniskis, Global Head of Alfa Romeo and Head of Passenger Cars – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America, explained a bit more about the production issues surrounding the Durango SRT Hellcat. “(The Durango Hellcat) is not limited, not serialized like what we do with (Dodge Demon), but we’re only building them for six months,” said Kuniskis. “With all of the changes we made in the plant to come back up (to production) post-COVID with the sequencing and spacing in the plant, it’s changed the number we can build… I don’t have an actual number but it will be less than 2,000. I don’t how much less than 2,000. It will be determined by customer demand and how much we can build in that six-month period.”
But how much will the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat cost? According to documents from our dealer connections, the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat will have a U.S. Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $80,995. That’s about an $18,000 increase over the 6.4-liter HEMI V8-powered 2021 Dodge Durango SRT392 with its MSRP of $62,995 (all prices exclude destination, taxes, and other fees).
So when can you order a Durango SRT Hellcat? Dodge//SRT will be issuing allocations to select Dodge//SRT dealers in November. Then, dealers can order the Durango SRT Hellcat of their liking. The performance three-row SUV will go into production at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) in January 2021 for a 5-month run ending in May. At that point, there will never be another Durango SRT Hellcat model produced on the current Durango platform.
The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat adds the following equipment to the Dodge Durango SRT392 model…
- Supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 and 8HP95 8-speed automatic transmission
- Slotted two-piece rotors
- 20-Inch x 10-Inch Mid-Black Wheels with machine face
- Black grille with performance MIC inner
- Lower chin splitter
- Hellcat fender badge & tail lamp badge
- Hellcat embroidery on seats
- Red accented cluster gauges
- Red SRT lit driver airbag cover
- Red key fob
The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat will feature a number of optional features as well…
- Premium Interior Package – $2,495
- Technology Group – $2,395
- Rear DVD Entertainment – $1,995
- Red Laguna Leather – $1,595
- Black Package – $1,495
- Power Sunroof – $1,295
- Trailer Tow Package with Brake Control – $1,195
- Dual Stripes – $1,195
- Harman Kardon Premium Audio – $995
- Three-Season Tires – $595
- 2nd Row Console – $595
- Compact Spare – $395
- Blind-Spot/Cross-Path – $495
- Red Seat Belts – $95
- Lightweight Group – No Charge
This means that if you load up on the options on your 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, it will come in slightly under $100,000 before taxes, title, and other fees. This is also before the dreaded dealer markup.
Nevertheless, the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat will be a “hell” of a machine and like the Demon, its rarity should only add to its value over time. The Durango SRT Hellcat won’t be the last of the Hellcat-powered SUVs from the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) portfolio. With the launch of the next-generation Jeep® Grand Cherokee (WL), it’s expected that a new Trackhawk model will make its debut in the 2022 model year.
