đź“° Auto News 2013 Dodge Durango SRT8 Is Possible

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Just the Facts:

  • Dodge is considering a high-performance SRT8 version of the Dodge Durango.
  • If it does reach production, it would be as a 2013 model.
  • Power may come from the same 6.4-liter Hemi V8 used in other SRT8 models.
  • Other high-performance hardware would include an adjustable suspension and Brembo brakes.


SANTA MONICA, California
— Following the recent introduction of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Chrysler is now considering a high-performance version of the Jeep's platform mate, the Dodge Durango. The model would be called the Dodge Durango SRT8 and it would be powered by the same 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that powers the other SRT8 models.

Chrysler refused to comment officially for this report, but a source close to the project has confirmed that the Durango SRT8 is being seriously considered. However, it is possibly being held back because of the lackluster sales of the 2011 Dodge Durango R/T, an existing performance version of the SUV powered by a 370-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and available with rear-wheel drive. Of the 30,227 Durangos Dodge has sold since the R/T launched in March, only 2,418 have been R/Ts, a mere 7 percent.

Unlike the R/T, the seven-passenger Durango SRT8 would be all-wheel-drive only, just like the smaller five-passenger Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Since both SUVs are based on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, all of the hardware that makes the Jeep into a fire-breathing SRT8 model bolts right onto the Durango.

That hardware includes the 6.4-liter Hemi V8, which pumps out 470 hp, its adjustable suspension, its sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and its huge Brembo brakes.

But all of that hardware doesn't come cheap. Which is another reason why the Durango SRT8 is a possible no-go. Jeep has priced the Grand Cherokee SRT8 at $54,470, and has taken some heat over it. In fact, Ralph V. Gilles, president and CEO of Chrysler's SRT brand, wrote on a recent Web chat that the automaker plans on "decoupling" some of the features to reduce the price on the high-performance SUV.

"Grand Cherokee pricing has been sensitive," Gilles acknowledged. "We understand.

"We will look at decoupling some of the features in the future as the usual new product surge subsides," Gilles wrote. "We will start with immediately decoupling the DVD and sunroof." Dodge is possibly concerned that the Durango SRT8 would also cost too much and simply miss the market. And it's a real concern. How many buyers would really pay up for a $50,000-plus seven-passenger Dodge SUV with 470 hp and Brembo brakes in this lame economy?

Inside Line says: Ralph Gilles not only owns a Viper, he recently ran Dodge, so he's probably in favor of this super SUV. We're not so sure. If they can keep the price down, however, Dodge should go for it.
 
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