5 things to know about the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

We recently had the chance to check out the all-new 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. And as the name implies, this is a track-ready vehicle.

Weird when you consider that this is also a 5,500-pound SUV.

We have already posted a full-length first-look review of the Trackhawk, but in case it’s TL:DR (too long; didn’t read), here are the 5 most important things you need to know about it.

Powered by the Hellcat engine

OK, it’s not exactly the same engine that’s in the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcats. But it’s close. As Joe Kubina, the chief engineer for Trackhawk, said, you have to make some modifications to make it fit the different space proportions under the hood.

But Trackhawk is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8, and you’ve still got 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. Also included: sport and track driving modes as well as standard Launch Control.

Oh, and an iconic red key fob.

Impressive performance stats

Equipped with Brembo brakes, a 1-inch lower ride height, quad-tip exhaust and a redesigned front fascia that optimizes airflow and cooling, the Trackhawk truly is bred for a racetrack.

The Trackhawk has a top speed of 180 mph and boasts a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. It can do a quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds.

Need some perspective? That’s faster than pretty much every sports sedan, including a BMW M5 and a Cadillac ATS-V.

With that much power, you might also be happy to know that the 60-to-0 mph braking performance is 114 feet.

Lots of lux-level amenities

The Trackhawk comes standard with sporty leather seats, carbon fiber dash inserts, a 5-mode Selec-Track system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and crash mitigation.

Available options include a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, Blu-ray entertainment system, leather-wrapped interior, high-performance audio and a trailer tow package.

Priced at $86,995

Cough. Yeah. You read that right. Base price for the Trackhawk, including destination, pushes past the $85K mark. And if you want to get any of those aforementioned options, you’ll head toward $100K fast.

Our test vehicle during the press launch came equipped with all of the options and had an as-tested price of $99,965.

The regular 4X2 Grand Cherokee has a base price of $31,490.

Available now

The Trackhawk hit dealers in the fourth quarter of 2017. While Midwestern or Northeastern buyers might be bummed that they’ll have to wait until spring to test the vehicle’s track prowess, the good news is that one of the 5 drive modes on the Selec-Track system is “Snow.”