2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk Costs the Same As a Dodge Demon

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Jeep announced pricing for the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk this week and whether it’s a good value or not largely depends on your priorities. At $85,900 with an additional $1,095 destination charge, it’s essentially the same price as the Dodge Demon before dealer markups. That’s roughly $20,000 over Dodge’s four-door Charger SRT Hellcat, which uses the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine delivering an identical 707 horsepower.

So, how do you plate the price to make it appear more appetizing? Direct comparisons. Midsize performance SUVs sit in an odd category almost entirely dominated by premium German vehicles and two less-lavish American models using a seven-year-old platform derived with help from Daimler. What sets the Trackhawk apart is it’s the most bonkers of the bunch and manages its madness at a lower price point than the competition.

The BMW X5 M is debatably the best example in the segment. But it starts at over three figures and only delivers a lousy 567 horsepower with a top speed of 150 mph. While that might be fine if you want to convey your family across town quickly, it doesn’t ensure the same panicked screams as the Trackhawk’s 180 mph. The BMW may have superior curb appeal and a much nicer interior but it won’t terrify your children like the Jeep can — making it an invaluable parenting tool.

It’s a similar story for the rest of the performance SUV segment. You’ll always come up short on performance and, when you try, you’ll inevitably push yourself beyond the $100,000 mark.

According to FCA, the eight-speed all-wheel-drive Trackhawk’s supercharged V8 propels it to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds and through the quarter mile in 11.6 — absolutely obliterating everything else in its category. Upgraded Brembo brakes, the largest ever fitted to a Jeep’s front end, allegedly bring the vehicle to a stop quicker than either the Durango SRT or Grand Cherokee SRT. Riding an inch closer to the ground than either, it also possesses Jeep’s Selec-Trac system, Bilstein adaptive damping, unique 20 x 10-inch titanium-finish wheels, yellow brake calipers, a redesigned fascia, and four exhaust ports.

However, if you want to upgrade the interior, you’ll have to shell out some extra dough. Among the most desirable options are likely Jeep’s dual-pane panoramic sunroof and towing package — assuming you want to take advantage of its 7,200-pound towing capabilities. Other premium options include a Harman Kardon high-performance audio system, dual-screen rear-seat entertainment with Blu-ray, lightweight forged aluminum black wheels, dark red seat belts, and a fully wrapped leather interior package in either black or black/dark red.

Color options for 2018 include Billet Silver, Granite Crystal, Diamond Black, Ivory Tri-coat, Bright White, Velvet Red, True Blue and two exclusive colors: Rhino (which has to be non-metallic gray) and Redline 2.

Jeep says it will begin taking orders for the Trackhawk on August 10th.

[Images: FCA]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Mrdcjohn Mrdcjohn on Aug 09, 2017

    Im back, You say we're out of butter ?

  • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Aug 10, 2017

    I would bet better than even money that the Jeep rides and drives better than the BMW in this case.

    • Krhodes1 Krhodes1 on Aug 10, 2017

      They would have to try really hard to make it ride worse than the BMW. I'd put my money on the BMW going around a racetrack better, but what is the point of taking an SUV on a racetrack?? This will certainly go down a dragstrip faster, but again, why???

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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