2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

The muscle car is soon to be dead, right? Well, maybe. But 'soon to be dead' doesn't mean it's on its last legs, and Dodge is celebrating all things noisy and V8y by bringing back the Durango SRT Hellcat for the 2023 model year after it was previously around for 2021 only. No SUV has any business being this powerful or rapid; the super SUV can hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and features a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that delivers 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque. If that isn't freedom, we don't know what is.

It gets better, though; unlike a two-seater sports car, you can take a grand total of six people for the ride of their lives in the Dodge brute. The Durango SRT Hellcat is in a niche of its own, with the older Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk now dead and gone. Sure, an Aston Martin DBX707 has similar power but costs way more, and sure, the Cadillac Escalade-V is an all-American three-row monster with its own supercharged V8, but the reality is that it's targeting different buyers entirely. Like the Escalade-V, the Durango SRT Hellcat represents the pinnacle of excess - and we love it for that exact reason.

Over 700 horses in a three-row SUV doesn't come cheaply. The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat carries a steep starting MSRP of over $90k, which is significantly more than the Durango SRT 392, which we review separately. This price excludes a destination charge of $1,495, along with tax, licensing, and registration costs. Plus trims are likely to cost around $98k, with the top-spec Premium nearing $105k all-in.

When you've got over 700 horses at your disposal, your primary focus will most likely be to go as fast as possible in a straight line, but it turns out that the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat can tackle the bends too. The 2023 Durango SRT Hellcat is an AWD monster, which eliminates the threat of death by oversteer, and makes it much more manageable to drive fast and put down all of that power off the line. The special Bilstein rebound springs and stiffened rear end eliminates most of the understeer associated with AWD performance cars and aren't too stiff for the daily grind. The adaptive suspension is comfy on smooth roads, but the ride can become unsettled over rougher sections of the road, especially at lower speeds. We also noticed that the supercharger whine regularly intrudes into the cabin, which is a good or a bad thing, depending on your disposition.

There are two ways of looking at the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat: firstly, as an entertaining performance car, and secondly, as a practical family car. The good news is that the crazy machine ticks both boxes - and then some. As a performance car, few in this class can touch the outright ridiculousness that is the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. It's massively quick, makes all the right noises, and drives well too. Few can competitors are available to keep up with the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat in the mid-size segment in the USA. As a family SUV, it's still incredibly practical and offers tons of space, lots of tech, and family-friendly options, such as rear seat infotainment for the kids. Simply put, this is the best of both worlds, even if it's not very logical. Just be prepared to spend - no part of buying or owning the new Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat will come cheap.

As the flagship Durango model, the Hellcat comes pretty well equipped for its base price. That doesn't mean we'd recommend buying it without any options, though. The Premium sits at the top of the range and only really has the Harman Kardon sound system, carbon fiber interior accents, and red Brembo brakes worth noting above the mid-range Plus, so we'd suggest shopping in the middle of the lineup.

Plus models add a power sunroof, high-performance Laguna leather seats, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, advanced brake assist, rain-sensing wipers, and lane departure warning as standard. This seems like the most value for money with only a small increase in price over the base model.