A rendering from ‘automotive manipulator’ Theophilus Chin imagines one such recruit, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat.
The theoretical (and wordy) vehicle houses the 6.2–liter, 707-horsepower supercharged V8 from the Challenger and Charger Hellcat, as well as a myriad of styling enhancements.
Simply put, the Grand Cherokee Hellcat looks bruising and mean. Compared to the standard models, it’s got an aggressively vented hood and front fascia, sharper and more sinister headlight housings, painted wheels, and different exhaust piping out back.
It’s unknown if a Jeep Hellcat will ever be made, but there was a glimmer of hope earlier this year.
The American automaker has trademarked the name ‘Trackhawk,’ which could be the badge for Hellcat-powered performance Cherokee. The brand uses the name ‘Trailhawk’ for hardcore off-road models, so the Trackhawk moniker could very well be the beast you see above.
Currently, the hottest Grand Cherokee available is the SRT, which equips a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with 470 hp. If the Hellcat version does happen, its performance should jump well ahead of its sporty SUV competition, namely the 550-hp Range Rover Sport SVR and 520-hp Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
In other Jeep news, the brand’s upcoming flagship SUV has its sights set on luxury 4x4s.
The new vehicle may be dubbed the Wagoneer, and will likely be the company’s biggest offering.
The Wagoneer will reportedly feature three rows of seating, butting right up against the high-end Land Rover Discovery. Jeep CEO Michael Manley recently said he’s perfectly comfortable competing with luxury 4x4s.
“I think that vehicle will very, very effectively compete with premium SUVs,” he said. “With Grand Cherokee we’ve proven we can compete at the very premium end of the segment. I’ve always talked about Grand Wagoneer and that for me is a big focus and will fill out the brand at the top.”
(Rendering via Theophilus Chin)
