The interior of the Jeep Trackhawk has leather the color of footballs. (Staff Photo by Mark Kennedy)THE BASICS
Model: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackhawkColor: Granite CrystalEngine: 6.2-liter, supercharged V-8Fuel Economy: 17 mpg highway, 11 mpg cityPrice (as tested): $90,880
It was love at first growl.
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On one level, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a whimsical vehicle; a family-sized SUV with a 707-horsepower engine popularized in muscle cars such as the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger Hellcats.
But when your right foot inches forward and that supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 begins to growl like a caged tiger, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
No, of course you don't need a 707-horsepower SUV for any practical reason, but you might want one. If you have about $90,000 to spare, and are tickled by the idea of rocketing zero-to-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, then, what they heck. Go for it!
We happened to be car shopping for a family member in Chattanooga while driving a Granite Crystal Trackhawk (provided by Jeep) for a week. To see jaded car store salesmen gather around the supercharged Jeep was quite an experience.
Anyone who follows the automotive industry closely knows about the Trackhawk, but actually laying eyes on one is a little like a unicorn sighting.
JUST THE FACTS
The 2018 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a four-door, five-passenger SUV that's the performance champ of Jeep's SUV line-up. It is said to be the quickest SUV ever made, for those who like to climb boulders and go 180 miles per hour.
Jeep says the Trackhawk, with its V-8 Hemi engine, can cover the quarter-mile in just 11.6 seconds. This should make for snappy trips through the car line at your kid's school.
The Trackhawk is the track-ready version of the Jeep Trailhawk and sports an eight-speed transmission and oversized Brembo brakes to bridle its incredible speed.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
The base price of the Trackhawk is $85,900. Our tester, with a few options added, had a bottom line of $90,888.
Save a little money for gas, too. The Trackhawk is rated at 11 miles per gallon city and 17 mpg highway.
COOL STUFF.
The Nappa leather interior in our tester is the color of an NFL football, and the 20-inch black forged alumnimum wheels fit the Trackhawk's masculine image.
BE SURE TO NOTICE.
The Trackhawk has five drive modes: auto, sport, track, snow and tow. It's so quick because it manages to put all that engine power on the pavement with four-wheel drive. There are burn-out photos online of the Trackhawk smoking all four wheels at once.
WHEN IT'S TIME TO TOW.
The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is not just a performance machine. It has a towing capacity of 7,200 pounds.
DOUBLE TAKES.
The yellow Brembo brake calipers on the Trackhawk are as big as small loaves of bread. To identify a Trackhawk in the wild, look for the word Supercharged on the side of a Grand Cherokee. The ground clearance is about one-inch lower than a plain-vanilla Grand Cherokee, too.
ALSO SHOP FOR.
The Trackhawk really has no peers, but import lovers might want to check out the BMW X6, which has world-class performance chops, as well.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com.