Dodge isn't shying away from electrified performance, but it's clear that the automaker wants to have all the fun it can with its supercharged 6.2-liter V8. That's why the Dodge Durango Hellcat is back from what we thought was its final resting place. Once believed to be a single-year special in 2021 after vanishing in 2022, the most fun family rig is back for 2023 with 710 horsepower.
It looks largely the same as before, but that's OK. What matters is it's a three-row SUV that can hit 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds or tow 8,700 pounds, just not both at the same time. Someone should still try, though.
Thanks to 11.6 pounds of boost from a 2.38-liter supercharger, the V8 also makes 645 pound-feet of torque. This helps it achieve an 11.5-second quarter-mile time, as verified by the NHRA. There are all kinds of nerdy engine details we can run through, like its sodium-cooled exhaust valves and powder-forged connecting rods, but just know that it's really darn fast with a top speed of 180 mph.
While the Durango Hellcat shares its powertrain with high-performance Challenger and Charger variants, it also has its fair share of model-specific features. It sports all-wheel drive, for example, and Dodge has calibrated a special Launch Assist mode to reduce wheel hop and ensure it gets the most traction off the line. Thanks to that and a set of four 295/45R20 Pirellis, it can flat-out scoot.
Its brakes are humongous, with the six-piston fronts measuring 15.75 inches and the two-piston rears coming in at 13.8 inches. They're all Brembo units, so you won't have to worry about plowing on ahead when you should be stopping. I'm not saying it's a track star but it's reassuring that Dodge has done more for the Durango Hellcat than just throw gobs of power at it. Special suspension tuning supposedly helps reduce understeer as well, which is always great in a ride this big.
Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but the 2023 Durango Hellcat will be available with optional Plus and Premium packages. Laguna leather seats, a power sunroof, and adaptive safety features make up the former, and the latter includes all of that along with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. You can bet that one will be pretty pricey, taking a big leap from the 2021 model's base price of $82,490.
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