522kW Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk goes on sale priced from $134,900

Alvin Lee December 12, 2017 New Car Price, News 2,383 Views

The world’s most powerful V8 SUV ever, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is now available on Australian shores priced from $134,900 before on-road costs.

Boasting an unbridled 522kW of power and a colossal 868Nm of torque courtesy of an awe-inspiring supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI V8 engine, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk sits above the Grand Cherokee SRT as the brand’s most powerful and quickest full-size SUV ever.

“After months of anticipation, I’m elated to announce the Trackhawk has landed,” said Jeep Australia President and CEO Steve Zanlunghi.

“The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk not only sets new standards in the Australian SUV market, but the overall performance car market,” he added.

“In terms of value for money in the performance segment, it will be difficult to find anything else that comes close.”

Mr Zanlunghi said the Trackhawk has already proven a hit, with the initial Australian launch allocation of 62 units (homage to the 6.2-litre engine capacity) now sold.

“As soon as we announced that the Trackhawk was destined for Australia, our dealers were inundated with enquiry and started taking orders,” he said.

Already in action in the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the Trackhawk’s boosted HEMI V8 is one of the world’s most powerful V8 engines, eclipsing even those from the AMG and M stable. It also out muscles the Range Rover Sport SVR.

On the road, the engine power output translates to a 0-100km/h time of just 3.7 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 289km/h. While Jeep is laying claim to the title of the world’s fastest SUV, Tesla will be quick to point out that its all-electric Model X P100D is quicker still with a 0-100km/h time of 3.1 seconds.

The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is also said to be capable of covering the quarter mile (400m) in 11.6 seconds with a trap speed of 186km/h, on par with the mighty Nissan GT-R. Its 100km/h-0 braking distance is rated at 37m with .88g capability on the skid pad.

Like the SRT model, the Trackhawk channels power to the road through an on-demand all-wheel drive system and an uprated eight-speed automatic transmission. Its drivetrain has also been intensively strengthened to cope with the extra punch. Jeep claims up to 70 per cent of torque can be sent to the rear wheels.

The flagship also gets bigger Brembo brakes – including 400mm discs with six-piston calipers up front.

For optimum handling, the rear axle is fitted with an electronic limited-slip differential for maximum traction out of corners. Launch Control is also standard for drag junkies.

Aesthetically, the Trackhawk stands out from the standard Grand Cherokee lineup with the front fascia featuring larger air dams for better cooling, a distinctive bonnet with dual vents, aggressive flared wheel arches, a gloss black rear valence and exclusive Trackhawk badges.

On the inside, highlights include Trackhawk-branded Nappa leather and suede seats, a flat-bottomed sport steering wheel, carbon fibre trim and contrasting leather-stitched surfaces. As with the rest of the Grand Cherokee range, infotainment is managed by an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen system enabling navigation, Bluetooth and Performance Pages (which displays lap times and instant readouts for power and torque outputs) and pinch-and-zoom capability. The Uconnect 4 system can also run both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

On the safety front there are Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind-spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path Detection, Forward Collision Warning with Crash Mitigation, Front and Rear Park Assist and Lane Departure Warning.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

Price:
$134,900 MSRP

Drivetrain:
Supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI V8, 522kW and 868Nm
TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission

Combined-cycle fuel consumption (L/100km):
16.8

Standard Features: