Hellcat-powered Dodge Durango Will Cost You, but You Figured That Already

For 2021, five Fiat Chrysler models will boast available Hellcat power. But only for 2021.

The recently unveiled Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, with its supercharged 6.2-liter V8, can only legally exist for one year before new EPA emissions rules come into effect for 2022. The constrained lifespan means the Durango Hellcat is destined to be a relatively rare ride for all time. And getting into one will carry a steep premium over the previous top-dog model, the SRT 392.

In revealing its 2021 Durango pricing Wednesday, FCA dropped quite a spread — from $31,765 (before destination) for the base, rear-drive SXT V6 model, to the new pinnacle: the $80,995 SRT Hellcat.

Boasting 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque, the musclebound motor hustles the biggish midsizer to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Enormous Brembo brakes ensures it grinds to a halt in a reasonable distance after the new owner attempts to achieve its drag-limited top speed (180 mph). Steely nerves will dictate just how fast an owner pitches this thing into a corner.

Ridiculous? Silly? Perhaps, but FCA knows that it’ll sell. Plus, it will help draw eyes to a very aged model that started production in its current guise in December 2010. It generates bragging rights for FCA, too.

It’s also a cool 18 grand pricier than the second-place entry, the SRT 392 — and that model is more than 12 grand steeper than the third-most expensive model, the Citadel AWD.

While this particular unibody Durango’s brawn is not in dispute, the model sees competition of sorts from within its own family. Sure, buyers might prefer to look at a Hellcat-powered Charger sedan or Challenger coupe, but the 707 hp Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk remains in the stable for power-crazed SUV buyers. At least for now (the model’s factory switches to a new generation midway through 2021). And the appearance of a Ram 1500 TRX pickup containing a 702-horse Hellcat motor is an interesting proposition for the driver who might one day want to venture very far off-road.

It’s also 11 grand cheaper.

Regardless, the Durango SRT Hellcat will no doubt find willing buyers before disappearing just as quickly as it appeared.

[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]