Only a week or so after Jeep CEO Mike Manley sarcastically confirmed the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show to a single journalist, a video has surfaced showing the vehicle under development.
The short and somewhat dull video shows the Grand Cherokee performing a quick acceleration run on the empty track. Supercharger whine is clearly present, resonating the distinctive Hellcat noise that’s different from other supercharged V-8s. Also audible is a short burst of tire chirping, but with the amount of throttle heard in the video, any rear-wheel drive, Hellcat-powered machine would smoke the tires, even with traction control on. This leads us to believe Jeep engineers have indeed built an AWD system capable of withstanding 650 pound-feet of torque. Whether it makes production or not is still unknown.
Of course, there’s no official word from Jeep or FCA, but we suspect the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee will soon be ready for production. Manley’s snarky interview revealed the SUV will be on the market before the end of 2017, likely making it a 2018-model-year vehicle. What’s more, according to FCA’s five-year plan published in 2014, the Grand Cherokee is due for a generational change in 2017. That lines up perfectly, making it seem like Jeep will wait to introduce the 707-horsepower street rod until the next-generation Grand Cherokee makes its debut. Perhaps the Hellcat version will bow at the same time.
Jeep is still quite on what it plans to call the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee, though all suspension and rumors still point to the TrackHawk name. Either way, these are certainly exciting times in the automotive world.
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