2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk Review: First Impressions and Photo Gallery
CARS.COM — Jeep meets SRT with the high-performance, track-focused 2018 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. And the automotive press got to meet it for the first time at the 2017 New York International Auto Show today.
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The performance figures for the Trackhawk are astounding: 707 horsepower from a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, zero-to-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, quarter mile in 11.6 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. I don’t know if I ever want to go that fast in an SUV, but my curiosity is piqued by the prospect.
The Trackhawk’s styling is pretty subtle considering it’s a 700-plus-hp SUV. There isn’t much to give it away versus the SRT version of the Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and Grand Cherokee SRT have similar body work, but there are slight differences in the hood: The foglights are gone in favor of extra airflow to the hungry engine, and there are four exhaust pipes instead of two. The only other hint you get are the bright yellow Brembo brake calipers, because all of that power will need to be stopped eventually.
That makes the Trackhawk the ultimate sleeper because from any kind of distance, it looks like a run-of-the-mill mid-size SUV that specializes in sleepy trips around town — not like the monster it is.
Inside, it’s standard Grand Cherokee fare with a roomy second-row, comfortable seats and a well-appointed interior. The front seats have some extra bolstering to keep everyone in place when driving aggressively, and there’s a center-mounted tachometer in the instrument panel; otherwise, it’s not markedly different from regular Grand Cherokee models.
This dichotomy speaks to the inherent peculiarity of the Trackhawk. It can do all of that tire-shredding work, but it can also tow 7,200 pounds. You could use a Trackhawk to tow another Trackhawk to the track. And it’s got cargo and passenger space to boot.
Seeing the Trackhawk in person made me a bit sad. It doesn’t belong on a stage. It belongs on a road, with the sun shining down and empty pavement in front of it. We have to wait until late 2017 to find out what it’s like to drive it.
