Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Too much power is never enough

By Dean Mellor 3 Min Read

It might not be much chop off-road but for those after blacktop thrills the updated 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is sure to deliver.

With a stonking 6.2-litre supercharged V8 making a claimed 522kW of power and 868Nm of torque, Jeep says its Grand Cherokee Trackhawk will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds.

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But the Trackhawk isn’t just about straight-line speed – Jeep also claims this potent Grand Cherokee offers “world-class on-road driving dynamics” thanks to its five drive-mode Selec-Track system, its advanced Bilstein adaptive dampers, its Brembo braking system and the TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift control.

The Selec-Track system uses performance-tuned software to pre-configure and distinguish the five user-selectable dynamic modes, which are Auto, Sport, Track, Snow and Tow. When you really want to get a wriggle on, select Track mode and transmission shift times are reduced 68 per cent compared to Auto Mode, to 160ms; stability control, four-wheel-drive and steering systems are set for ultimate track performance; paddle shifters are enabled; suspension is set to full firm; and there’s a 30/70 torque split.

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How about 0-100 in 3.7 seconds? Boom!

Another standard feature is Launch Control, which optimises the engine, transmission, driveline and suspension systems to provide “a textbook launch and consistent straight-line acceleration”.

For the 2020 update, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk comes with 20-inch black lightweight forged alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero 3 Season tyres, Signature Laguna leather wrapped interior (in black or grey), and an updated infotainment system with a Uconnect 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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Fancy leather trim… and red seat belts (not shown).

“Australia is FCA’s second largest market for V8s outside of North America and it is important for us to be able to support Australians with one of the most powerful and fastest SUVs ever,” Guillaume Drelon, Jeep Australia Director, Product said. “We’re excited to provide even more customer value to what is already the best-value, track-ready SUV in the market.”

Of course, all that blacktop performance doesn’t come cheap – the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk starts at $139,950 plus on-road costs – but you do get plenty of bling to go along with the performance including, red seat belts; yellow Brembo brake callipers; quad exhaust tips; cold air scoops in place of the front fog lights; a unique Trackhawk gloss black lower rear fascia; and several all-important badges marked ‘Trackhawk’, ‘Supercharged’ and ‘HEMI 6.2’.


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