Is there a comeback for the Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk?

Speculation. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (née SRT) was a big seller; but when Jeep moved to a new platform, it left the SRT/Trackhawk behind. Though Hellcat engines are most likely gone at the end of the year, Jeep could still bring back the beloved performance SUV.

Powertrain. Jeep might consider a hybrid powertrain option for the Grand Cherokee SRT / Trailhawk, hooking up the high output Hurricane Six to batteries and big motors. Or they could just hook up the “normal” high output Hurricane for an exhilarating driving experience akin to the 392 Grand Cherokee, but with better mileage. A hybrid could probably come close to the 707-hp Hellcat’s thrills. Electric motors’ instant torque would take some of the burden off the straight-six.

Suspension: Jeep could further boost the performance of the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk with its newer and presumably more advanced chassis, resulting in more agility and precision on the road than the original. Bolstering offload performance would likely require a new model, but it might add to perceptions of capability for all Grand Cherokees.

Only time will reveal the true direction Jeep takes with the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, if any; but a Hurricane engine was promised and remains extremely likely.

I think we’re going to see an expansion of performance vehicles across the North American Stellantis line with the entire hurricane family leading the way in nearly every market that Stellantis is going to be competing in. The Hurricane family for Mopar is going to do what the Ecoboost family of powertrains did for Ford. Personally I feel that the majority of vehicles will receive the 375hp/470tq 2.0L Hybrid setup from the 4Xe Jeep vehicles as a baseline powertrain, while the 3.0L Standard Output Hurricane and variations of the 3.0L Hurricane High Output will be the step up performance variants as well as a 3.0L High Output Hurricane Hybrid powertrain to pick up where the regular Hellcat 6.2L Supercharged V8 left off. We already know that Stellantis has a HurriCrate Cat-3 version of the 3.0L High Output I-6TT that pushes 550hp/531lb-ft of torque. Let’s just say for instance, Stellantis add a 170hp electric motor inside the new 8-speed transmission (like what’s coming in the upcoming 800hp Alfa-Romeo supercar which will be equipped with the Nettuno 3.0L V6 twin turbo) and it produces the same additional 175lb-ft of torque that the setup in the Jeep 4Xe drivetrain does, you’re looking at a 720hp/605lb-ft setup in lineup of AWD vehicles that not only offers the advantage of traction with AWD and instant torque from the Electric motor but roughly 30miles of full electric range with regenerative capabilities that add to the overall higher EPA ratings that would allow for a larger range of desirable electrified vehicles. This would include any vehicle on the STLA Large platform, STLA frame platform and whatever platform the Jeep Grand Cherokee resides on. Jeep is also touting the new Wagoneer S concept as a spiritual successor of the Trackhawk with the targeted 600 electric horsepower powertrain to have nearly identical performance specs with the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk with several improvements to the aerodynamic design. The Grand Cherokee name might get dropped anyway as talks of doing away with that nameplate for certain reasons have been on the table for quite some time so the Wagoneer S may end up being the replacement for the Grand Cherokee with a bit of a blend of the two-vehicle’s stylings. While there is no guarantee that the upcoming BEV portfolio will be anything like the concept vehicles they’re showing, I feel the industry is really shifting towards producing more hybrid vehicles that have a respectable all EV range while also expanding the full BEV market along with the hybrid market. Powertrains like these with Direct Connection upgrades not only pave the way for a future Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk-like vehicle but also the continuation of Mopar performance across the Dodge, Jeep & Chrysler range. The thing is, I don’t see it stopping there. I also see the FWD based Hurricane-4 Mopar performance vehicles receiving a bit of this same power blended with the technology used by the Dodge Hornet R/T. a 2.0L FWD powertrain with the Hornet R/T Hybrid setup and Direct Connection/GLH/SRT tuning & upgrading would seriously bring Mopar performance back to the small car market in a big way.
There is a comment above about the future of the Ram HD gas powered pickup. I do agree that the 3.0L Hurricane-6, even in hybrid form, would not be the optimum powertrain for a vehicle with that kind of capability. A full BEV powertrain would have alot of shortcomings, especially with towing up and down grades which would drastically reduce range, making EV’s not really effective in this market. I understand that Tesla and Freightliner have tractor-trailers that are full EVs but their batteries are alot larger and are set up differently than what would be in a pickup so that really makes an EV HD pickup, not a wise idea. While none of those methods would really be ideal, just personally, I don’t see any V8 powertrain being around much longer. While in most instances, these smaller engines with hybrid setups are more than sufficient, there are some aspects where the old saying “there’s no replacement for displacement.” still holds true, and that is in a work truck. As romantic as a V8 sounds, an big block Inline-6 twin turbo hybrid would be the best option as an Inline-6 is all about the torque. I think a 4.3L twin turbo 265ci Hemi-6 hybrid would not only do the job when it comes to brute strength, but it also pays Homage to the Hemi-265 Inline-6 engines of Australia in a big way. An engine like that would have gobs of torque even without the hybrid system but the hybrid system would definitely assist the engine when pulling a heavy load and if equipped with a “Push to Pass” style system like what the Hornet has, climbing a grade with a trailer, camper or boat would definitely be a little easier. More displacement + forced induction + electrification is definitely a win-win situation all the way around. It is interesting to think of what powertrains will motivate the next-generation Minivans and even the promaster. A Hybrid 3.6L Pentastar might not be the worst idea as the average minivan wouldn’t really need that much horsepower to begin with but having a hybrid setup with the 3.6L up front with a 44hp electric starter motor, a hybrid transmission setup and a small rear electric motor driving the back wheels wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Same with the Promaster. It wouldn’t be a high horsepower setup but it would have some spirit to it and if it got 30-40miles of full EV range, that wouldn’t be bad at all either. While this isn’t exactly the Mopar of old, in certain ways it is. It’s bringing back days of the old slant-6 days of the ’70’s and the ’80’s GLH days but with the potential to not only stand on the shoulders of those eras but to also stand on the shoulders of the hellcats and everything we have right now and push forward with past and present into the future. While I don’t believe in full electrification, I do believe that electrification, in addition to forced induction small-displacement powertrains can do alot for the auto industry for both enthusiasts and for economist. We might not be able to roll coal on a Prius driver with these new powertrains but we can still roast tires, go off roading and do all of the Mopar stuff that we’ve always been able to do, but cleaner and better if Mopar lays its future out like what’s in this comment above.

2 thoughts on “Is there a comeback for the Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk?”

Some Nobody

August 25, 2023 at 11:28 am

The answer is no. The next Durango/Stealth will fill this void. The real questions you should be asking: Will the Pacifica/Pacifica Hybrid/Voyager/Promaster ever get the much needed 2.0T to replace the 3.6? Will Ram ever drop the redundant 68RFE transmission? Will the 2025 Ram 1500 have the 2.0T as standard, or will it just have the 3.0 and 3.0 H.O.? Why did Jeep go backwards and put an 8 speed in the Compass? Is everything else FWD eventually getting the 8 speed? What was the purpose of the 8 speed experiment? Will the Commander/Meridian come stateside to replace the KL Cherokee? Will the 2025 Grand Cherokee get a name update to match the Wagoneer/Wagoneer L/Grand Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer L (In example, Cherokee/Cherokee L/Grand Cherokee/Grand Cherokee L)? It only makes sense at this point. Also, the way the market and world is going, you have to ask yourself if the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Gladiator are even meant to get the 3.0 at all. These three may just end up with the 2.0T and 2.0T 4XE. The 3.0 isn’t that much better than the Hemi in carbon footprint, especially considering no M.D.S. These 3.0 engines may just be for large vehicles going forward. This is not your grandfather’s Mopar anymore, and look who’s in charge of this country. And finally, the last question you need to ask is, what is Ram’s answer to Ford and GM’s H.D. gas engines? Is a new, H.D. only Hemi on the way? It only makes sense, because we all know a tiny 3.0 twin turbo six cylinder with a plasma coating instead of cylinder liners on an aluminum block is not the answer…
Van Bond, Jr.

August 26, 2023 at 12:27 am

I think we’re going to see an expansion of performance vehicles across the North American Stellantis line with the entire hurricane family leading the way in nearly every market that Stellantis is going to be competing in. The Hurricane family for Mopar is going to do what the Ecoboost family of powertrains did for Ford. Personally I feel that the majority of vehicles will receive the 375hp/470tq 2.0L Hybrid setup from the 4Xe Jeep vehicles as a baseline powertrain, while the 3.0L Standard Output Hurricane and variations of the 3.0L Hurricane High Output will be the step up performance variants as well as a 3.0L High Output Hurricane Hybrid powertrain to pick up where the regular Hellcat 6.2L Supercharged V8 left off. We already know that Stellantis has a HurriCrate Cat-3 version of the 3.0L High Output I-6TT that pushes 550hp/531lb-ft of torque. Let’s just say for instance, Stellantis add a 170hp electric motor inside the new 8-speed transmission (like what’s coming in the upcoming 800hp Alfa-Romeo supercar which will be equipped with the Nettuno 3.0L V6 twin turbo) and it produces the same additional 175lb-ft of torque that the setup in the Jeep 4Xe drivetrain does, you’re looking at a 720hp/605lb-ft setup in lineup of AWD vehicles that not only offers the advantage of traction with AWD and instant torque from the Electric motor but roughly 30miles of full electric range with regenerative capabilities that add to the overall higher EPA ratings that would allow for a larger range of desirable electrified vehicles. This would include any vehicle on the STLA Large platform, STLA frame platform and whatever platform the Jeep Grand Cherokee resides on. Jeep is also touting the new Wagoneer S concept as a spiritual successor of the Trackhawk with the targeted 600 electric horsepower powertrain to have nearly identical performance specs with the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk with several improvements to the aerodynamic design. The Grand Cherokee name might get dropped anyway as talks of doing away with that nameplate for certain reasons have been on the table for quite some time so the Wagoneer S may end up being the replacement for the Grand Cherokee with a bit of a blend of the two-vehicle’s stylings. While there is no guarantee that the upcoming BEV portfolio will be anything like the concept vehicles they’re showing, I feel the industry is really shifting towards producing more hybrid vehicles that have a respectable all EV range while also expanding the full BEV market along with the hybrid market. Powertrains like these with Direct Connection upgrades not only pave the way for a future Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk-like vehicle but also the continuation of Mopar performance across the Dodge, Jeep & Chrysler range. The thing is, I don’t see it stopping there. I also see the FWD based Hurricane-4 Mopar performance vehicles receiving a bit of this same power blended with the technology used by the Dodge Hornet R/T. a 2.0L FWD powertrain with the Hornet R/T Hybrid setup and Direct Connection/GLH/SRT tuning & upgrading would seriously bring Mopar performance back to the small car market in a big way.
There is a comment above about the future of the Ram HD gas powered pickup. I do agree that the 3.0L Hurricane-6, even in hybrid form, would not be the optimum powertrain for a vehicle with that kind of capability. A full BEV powertrain would have alot of shortcomings, especially with towing up and down grades which would drastically reduce range, making EV’s not really effective in this market. I understand that Tesla and Freightliner have tractor-trailers that are full EVs but their batteries are alot larger and are set up differently than what would be in a pickup so that really makes an EV HD pickup, not a wise idea. While none of those methods would really be ideal, just personally, I don’t see any V8 powertrain being around much longer. While in most instances, these smaller engines with hybrid setups are more than sufficient, there are some aspects where the old saying “there’s no replacement for displacement.” still holds true, and that is in a work truck. As romantic as a V8 sounds, an big block Inline-6 twin turbo hybrid would be the best option as an Inline-6 is all about the torque. I think a 4.3L twin turbo 265ci Hemi-6 hybrid would not only do the job when it comes to brute strength, but it also pays Homage to the Hemi-265 Inline-6 engines of Australia in a big way. An engine like that would have gobs of torque even without the hybrid system but the hybrid system would definitely assist the engine when pulling a heavy load and if equipped with a “Push to Pass” style system like what the Hornet has, climbing a grade with a trailer, camper or boat would definitely be a little easier. More displacement + forced induction + electrification is definitely a win-win situation all the way around. It is interesting to think of what powertrains will motivate the next-generation Minivans and even the promaster. A Hybrid 3.6L Pentastar might not be the worst idea as the average minivan wouldn’t really need that much horsepower to begin with but having a hybrid setup with the 3.6L up front with a 44hp electric starter motor, a hybrid transmission setup and a small rear electric motor driving the back wheels wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Same with the Promaster. It wouldn’t be a high horsepower setup but it would have some spirit to it and if it got 30-40miles of full EV range, that wouldn’t be bad at all either. While this isn’t exactly the Mopar of old, in certain ways it is. It’s bringing back days of the old slant-6 days of the ’70’s and the ’80’s GLH days but with the potential to not only stand on the shoulders of those eras but to also stand on the shoulders of the hellcats and everything we have right now and push forward with past and present into the future. While I don’t believe in full electrification, I do believe that electrification, in addition to forced induction small-displacement powertrains can do alot for the auto industry for both enthusiasts and for economist. We might not be able to roll coal on a Prius driver with these new powertrains but we can still roast tires, go off roading and do all of the Mopar stuff that we’ve always been able to do, but cleaner and better if Mopar lays its future out like what’s in this comment above.

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2 thoughts on “Is there a comeback for the Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk?”