Durango SRT^® Hellcat, Still a Leader in the Hot Rod SUV Class

The Durango SRT^® Hellcat is like a veteran heavyweight boxer with hands the size of man hole covers. Despite its age, it still packs a hard-hitting punch that’ll set its occupants firmly in the seats when the supercharged 6.2L HEMI^® engine unleashes its 710 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm and the stump-pulling 645 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,500 rpm plasters their faces. The Durango SRT Hellcat’s 5,575-pound mass also doesn’t hinder the damage it can do to other performance vehicles and not just other performance SUVs, but the unsuspecting old-school muscle cars. The Durango SRT Hellcat is like a bunker buster bomb unleashed from the bowels of a B-1 bomber, ready to obliterate anything in its path. Yes, the Durango SRT Hellcat has been around since 2021, while the overall platform has survived for decades. However, age is just a number, and the Durango SRT Hellcat still gets the job done by providing its occupants a memorable thrill ride that’ll guarantee plenty of smiles and nervous laughter while leaving many would-be competitors in its wake.

This specific 2025 Durango SRT Hellcat we spent the week with was the ‘Hammerhead’ edition. One of three specialty packages offered on the SRT Hellcat-powered Durango in 2025. It had almost a ‘sleeper look’ about it with its subtle ‘Night Moves’ color that dances between a deep blue or black, depending on the time of day and what mood it’s in. The 20-inch painted satin carbon wheels almost make this SRT Hellcat look like the more common and sedate R/T models. But that’s okay. In a world of black-painted wheels rolling on virtually any performance car, truck or SUV, some subtle ‘bling’ is a nice aesthetic touch, contrasting nicely with the overall look of this hot rod SUV. Our Durango SRT Hellcat Hammerhead came standard with a statin black painted scooped hood, and the aggressive grille and fascia gave the front end a menacing look of a football linebacker wearing eye black and ready to sack the quarterback.

Our destination with this beast was the NHRA U.S. Nationals, the granddaddy of all drag races and an event considered by racers and fans who trek to Indianapolis Raceway Park as ‘hallowed ground’. This week-long celebration of speed and horsepower also has its fair share of human drama mixed in. Hopes, dreams and, for some, disappointment make this drag race even more special. For many competitors and teams, this historic drag strip turns into a battleground. While we couldn’t roll the Hammerhead into the beams and blast down the quarter-mile during this celebrated national event, certified quarter-mile drag tests under the scrutiny of the NHRA confirm the Durango SRT Hellcat will trip the lights around 11.5 seconds at 116 mph. Should you feel the need to bend the speedometer needle, this supercharged SUV will top out at 180 mph. During the U.S. Nationals, the Durango SRT Hellcat witnessed the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge that had a slew of 1968 Super Stock HEMI Barracudas and Darts packed in the staging lanes getting ready to make some noise down the strip.

Along with the Pro Teams, the pits at Indy are packed with Sportsman Racers from all over the country, competing in a variety of classes. While some may consider Sportsman ‘grassroots’ competitors, it’s hard to apply that label when some of their racing rigs that include high-end motorhomes hooked to massive trailers containing three racecars cost more than an average house. These ‘part-time racers’ use a variety of trucks to tow their racecars and equipment, but our Durango SRT Hellcat could handle many of these tasks without breaking a sweat. The Towing Package (standard on the Hammerhead edition) includes a Class IV Receiver-Hitch and Trailer Brake Controller. This machine can easily tow up to 8,700 pounds so the Durango SRT Hellcat would have no problem hauling a 24-foot enclosed trailer with a classic hot rod or racecar strapped down inside.

The drive from the Motor City to Indianapolis Raceway Park took a bit more than five hours, and the Hammerhead just ate up all of the 255 miles. The 6.2L HEMI engine, with its 2.38-liter supercharger pumping 11.6 pounds of boost when agitated, produced an unmistakable sound that had everyone from the ravenous gearhead to an everyday pedestrian sitting up and taking notice. The throaty exhaust barks when aggressive upshifts and downshifts are performed on the paddle shifters via the SRT Performance Pages and through the Configurable Drive Modes, providing more options, including sport and track settings that allow us to activate, deactivate and adjust the rpm values. We played around with the Durango SRT Hellcat shift points in sport, track and race mode. We felt like an F1 driver racing around Monaco, but watch out, we swear our body organs were no longer attached by how hard the shifts were. The surefooted handling of this behemoth around sweeping curves, thanks to its Pirelli Verde Zero 295/45ZR20 BSW All–Season tires, had us thinking we were ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But leave everything in the Auto mode and put the 8HP95 eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic in drive, and the Durango SRT Hellcat is just as happy running shopping errands around town. In the Auto mode, the ride is more pleasant, the exhaust tone is less vocal, and our stomachs settle down!

Inside the Durango’s spacious cabin, the Hammerhead package comes with scrumptious Hammerhead Black/Grey (like the colors of the shark) Laguna heated/cooled leather seats that provide plenty of comfort and support. A 10.1-inch touchscreen with navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system, sunroof and more luxurious appointments made us feel we were in a higher tax bracket. The Durango SRT Hellcat Hammerhead also comes with a premium wrapped instrument panel, leather/suede steering wheel, carbon-fiber with chrome interior accents and suede headliner.

The Durango, along with its cousin, the Jeep_® Grand Cherokee, is built in the heart of Detroit at the massive Jefferson North Assembly Plant. The plant sits on the same site as the original Chrysler Jefferson plant, designed by the renowned architect Albert Kahn, it was constructed way back in 1908 and closed in 1990. Everything from DeSotos, Imperials, New Yorkers and even Omnis rolled off the bustling line. During WWII, Jefferson Assembly was a major contributor to the “Arsenal of Democracy.’’ The current plant, built in 1991, bears no resemblance to the old plant. It swapped its early 20th century ornate design for energy efficiency, and increased worker productivity and safety. The new Jefferson Assembly represents the Motor City’s rebirth, and the Durango SRT Hellcat epitomizes Detroit’s high-horsepower, soul, blue-collar roots and working-class ethic.  

And like the plant it rolls out of, every Durango SRT Hellcat has the personality of a bouncer and won’t take crap from anyone. Think of it as the piece of Detroit’s DNA that can be seen, heard and felt everywhere it goes!

For 2026, the Durango SRT Hellcat gets amped up even more with the Jailbreak option. Now buyers can mix and match colors and features to create the ultimate and possibly a unique and one-off version of the most powerful full-size muscle utility vehicle. So fear not HEMI fans, your voices have been heard!