2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Hammerhead Overview & Check Drive : Automotive Addicts
Automotive
Oh, the thrill of the notorious Hellcat autos from Dodge, which have stood the take a look at of time in being certainly one of most talked-about powertrains in our lifetime. Sadly, all issues Hellcat are coming to an finish as I get my arms on what would be the final new Hellcat-powered take a look at car, the Durango Hellcat Hammerhead, one of many many final variations and so-called particular editions of the 700-plus-horsepower SUV. 2025 is claimed to be the final 12 months for such a car – although Dodge might change their minds on the final minute.
There’s no getting round the truth that the Dodge Durango is considerably lengthy within the tooth because it embarks on almost 14 years of its present era, albeit with refreshing updates alongside the way in which. Such age reveals within the newest Hellcat adorned within the Hammerhead version, which doesn’t change it up a lot from every other Durango Hellcat aside from having Hammerhead Gray Laguna leather-based seats with sepia SRT Hellcat emblem embroidering, solid carbon fiber inside trim, satin 20-inch wheels, a darkish Night time Strikes blue paint shade, and a satin vinyl wrap on the bulging and vented hood. Aside from such, the Durango Hellcat is a menacing monster, one which screams simply as loud as all its Hellcat brethren discovered within the Challenger, Charger, and even the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Right here, the Stellantis branding bids farewell to their formidable and now historic Hellcat powertrains, which I, amongst many different numerous fans, will tremendously miss.
By way of what you’ll be able to nonetheless get in Hellcat type as of the publication date of my assessment, the Dodge Durango Hellcat stays a lonely beast that would change into a collector’s merchandise quickly sufficient. With 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque pumping out of the 6.2-liter Supercharged V8, the Durango is unquestionably remodeled into one thing particular. Having all-wheel-drive and a snappy-shifting TorqueFlite 8-speed automated transmission makes issues much more particular in that you simply don’t have to fret a lot about traction off the road, one thing the Hellcat Charger and Challenger begged for with their rear-wheel-drive setups. Right here, the Durango Hellcat jumps off the road with violence, considerably like a robust electrical car, pinning you firmly to the aged but-still-enjoyed thickly padded, heated, and ventilated entrance seats from Dodge. If you happen to’re not hooning round, you’ll be able to tow as much as 8,700 kilos with this Durango when correctly configured.
Regardless of in the event you use the launch management that’s rapidly enabled with a press of a single button or matt the throttle from a cease, the Durango Hellcat surges to 60 mph in a constant 3.6 seconds time after time. Essentially, the Durango Hellcat is a sleeper that nobody expects to fireside off such acceleration and velocity, a high velocity of 180 mph in the event you dare.
There’s some consolation present in any Durango, however with the Hellcat issue, that consolation turns into transformative and infrequently a bit lofty with the adaptive dampers which have three settings dialed up from a reasonably intricate SRT efficiency settings menu. You may dial up simply the proper taste of your liking from the default Automated drive mode or a Customized mode to avoid wasting your chosen driving dynamics, from the steering effort to the suspension damper settings.
There’s actually no shaking off the antiquated feeling of the Dodge Durango Hellcat, even with the most recent and considerably up to date Uconnect 5 infotainment system and its 10.1-inch touchscreen. Certain, the system appeases most with a simplistic method with a protracted listing of menu units and efficiency pages personalized to offer you a plethora of efficiency information out of your Hellcat SUV – nevertheless it doesn’t shake off that ‘outdated’ feeling as there’s nonetheless so much to be desired. So as to add insult to harm, that outdated feeling doesn’t bode effectively when you think about the worth of this 3-row, 6-passenger beast sitting at $115,315. That’s a number of cheddar for one thing considerably antiquated and has not but captured that collector’s standing. And also you’ll must price range for all the gas this factor’s going to deplete the place you’ll principally common 13 mpg as I did to match its EPA estimates of 12 mpg metropolis, 17 mpg freeway, and 13 mpg mixed. Fortunately, the 24.6-gallon tank is massive sufficient to have some well timed enjoyable.
Many of the Durango Hellcat’s worth in its 6-figure value is the remarkably highly effective drivetrain, one thing that’s reasonably laborious to seek out in a 3-row passenger SUV except you go the dearer path to the Cadillac Escalade V. Nonetheless, the Durango Hellcat, in no matter final name particular version taste, reigns supreme within the efficiency area, and that’s the worth in such a car, which shall be tremendously missed because it probably enters a collector’s merchandise world. Farewell, Durango Hellcat – wishing you a clean but highly effective crusing right into a covetous world!
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