The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is allegedly on its way to production.
Rumors surrounding the model have circulated for nearly a year since Fiat Chrysler Automobiles submitted a trademark filing for the term ‘Trackhawk.’ Unnamed sources have told Motor Authority the new high-performance range topper, internally referred to as ‘Project K,’ has been given a final green-light.
The latest report corroborates speculation that FCA’s 6.2-liter supercharged ‘Hellcat’ V8 will be found under the hood, mated to an eight-speed ZF-sourced automatic transmission. It is unclear if engineers were forced to rein in torque output to preserve the all-wheel-drive hardware.
The same engine produces 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque in the Charger SRT and Challenger SRT, besting the current Grand Cherokee SRT8‘s 6.4-liter V8 output by nearly 50 percent. Sources suggest the ‘ute should be able to hit 200 mph and get up to 60 mph in less than three seconds. Other reports suggest it will be closer to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which boasts a 3.8-second zero-to-60 mph sprint and a 176 mph top speed.
The SRT8 is the best-selling SRT model in FCA’s lineup, and the company is not expected to offer the Hellcat model as an exclusive replacement to the current range topper. The naturally-aspirated V8 is consequently expected to live on, perhaps with a bit more power, as the volume-production trim.
The Trackhawks are expected to arrive in showrooms sometime in 2016 for the 2017 model year.
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