V8 Grand Cherokee on Steroids with 527 KW of Power
JEEP is preparing to shoehorn Chrysler’s most powerful Hellcat V8 engine into its Grand Cherokee large SUV to create a supercharged beast capable of blowing its European SUV rivals off the road.
FCA Australia would also be warm to the idea of a Wrangler pick-up, saying the success of utes in Australia would make such a vehicle a great acquisition for the Australian Jeep line-up. The vehicle will be based on the next-generation Wrangler and planned for production from late 2017.
Although Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia has no official word on either product, it says it would welcome both with open arms.
Asked if Jeep could fit the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellfire V8 from the Dodge Charger and Chrysler Challenger into the Grand Cherokee, the answer was that it is approved for production. No name or timeline was mentioned.
Belting out 527kW of power and 881Nm of torque, the Hellfire Hemi blown V8 would give the Grand Cherokee the raw engine performance to surpass of all its rivals’ current mass-produced high-performance SUVs, including Mercedes-AMG’s 430kW/760Nm GLE63 S AMG, the 423kW/750Nm BMW X5 M, 419kW/800Nm Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and 405kW/680Nm Range Rover Sport SVR.
The current fourth-generation Grand Cherokee shares much of its architecture with the 2012 W166 Mercedes ML-Class and has been on the Australian market for five years.
A hi-po Hellfire engine version might be Jeep’s way of keeping the fire alight under the large wagon as it enters its twilight years.
An executive of FCA Australia said “Needless to say, if such a vehicle was to come about, with more power, many of our buyers would appreciate it and we would be very excited to take it.”
In 2014, a five-year product plan announced by Jeep made no mention of a Wrangler ute, but a new five-year plan due out next month might tell more, not only about the proposed ute but also the planned replacement for Jeep’s compact SUV twins, the Compass and Patriot.
One obstacle that Jeep will have to overcome before it can build the Wrangler ute is a lack of production capacity at its plant in Jeep’s spiritual home, Toledo, Ohio.
American journalists are speculating that because the Wrangler production line there is already running at capacity, Cherokee production might be moved elsewhere to free up room.
GoAuto.com.au