Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 2018 Review

Build it and they will come

This might as well be the automotive version of ‘The Kramer’ portrait from Seinfeld. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a loathsome, offensive brute of a thing, yet nobody can find themselves looking away.

There is little logic or sensibility around Jeep’s $134,900 juggernaut, on sale in Australia from this month, but one jab of its accelerator pedal tells you all you need to know.

“This car is f***ing insane,” says Jeep Australia brand director Guillaume Drelon.

Don’t hold back, Guillaume.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s expletive personality is quickly realised during a ‘launch control’ simulation at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.

With a prodigious 6.2-litre supercharged V8 at its disposal, quick getaways are child’s play: 522kW and 868Nm from an SUV that seats five in comfort and offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The firepower allows the 2400kg Trackhawk to launch from nought to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, hurtling its way down the quarter-mile strip in a credible 11.6sec.

Equally relevant is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s ability to brake from 100km/h to rest in 37m, courtesy of the largest braking system ever employed by a Jeep.

Despite a physics-bending set of numbers, there is usually an insurmountable business case against small-run performance vehicles like the Trackhawk. Jeep built it anyway, which is surely worth celebrating.

Political correctness, fiscal responsibility or environmental concerns? Be damned!

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The durability test

Let’s not beat around the bush. Jeeps haven’t got the best reputation for reliability, and the Grand Cherokee is one of the most recalled cars on record. The ACCC, which oversees product recalls in Australia, would just about have the first five letters of its VIN stamp committed to memory.

However, Jeep went to extreme lengths to ensure the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk was up to the measure of the prodigious supercharged V8 engine, which already does service in the devilishly quick Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

First, Jeep reinforced the mechanicals: a new transfer case, strengthened transmission, thicker driveshaft, new differential, new half shafts. The engine received water jackets between cylinders and the crankshaft was burst tested up to 13,000rpm. The list goes on. Then Jeep’s people fatigue tested it all, on one occasion undertaking 2000 consecutive drag strip launches.

Since the Trackhawk is all about power, engineers also focussed their efforts on “feeding the beast” – not a euphemism.

The car’s design channelled more function, with new air dams replacing the fog lights under the grille, along with a new front-mounted oil cooler with unfettered access to clean, cool air. In all, there are few exterior tells.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s cabin in contrast received only an ever-so-light once over, as outlined in our pricing story. Highlights include carbon-fibre inlays, new materials and customised performance displays available from its 8.4-inch touchscreen and matching digital driver display - minor enhancements considering the Trackhawk retails for $43,000 more than the SRT donor model.

These additions help offset long-standing gripes including the clunky foot-operated park brake and lack of seven-seat availability.

But back to the important stuff. The blown Trackhawk’s 6.2-litre is nothing without air, engineers insist. Running a maximum boost pressure of 11.6psi, the supercharger is capable of winding its way up to 14,600rpm. At peak running, the engine will inhale 500 litres of air every second. The numbers are incredible.

Of course, physics still has a role to play here, and the challenge soon wrested on chassis engineers to help the Trackhawk offset its sizeable 2399kg kerb mass. They arrived at Bilstein adaptive dampers and independent front and rear geometries with stiffer spring rates.

On the braking front, the Trackhawk received 400mm front discs wrapped with yellow six-piston Brembo callipers, and a 350mm-four piston rear combination.

“We tracked this car a lot during development,” says Brandon, one of the American engineers that worked on the project.

“We realised that since a lot of owners would want to track their cars, the Trackhawk needed to be able to comfortably complete 20-minute track sessions at a time, without brake fade or anything else. We are happy with the result.”

We should mention at this point the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is backed by a five-year, 100,000km warranty. The official tow rating is capped at 2949kg braked.

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Track toy

The Australian media drive of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is probably better referred to as an ‘expression session’ than a thorough test: 14.8km worth of driving (by our estimates) comprising two drag launches, a simulated high-speed lane swerve exercise and two laps of the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.

In all, the Trackhawk encourages with its instant throttle response, earth-churning pull at any point in the rev spectrum, and its incredible braking ability.

The first impression arrives with an exclamation point as we floor the Trackhawk down Phillip Island’s main straight during a launch control simulation. With the left foot firmly on the brake pedal, the accelerator is flattened, the Jeep holding revs at about 2500rpm before scrambling at all four wheels to get the power to the ground.

With 70 per cent of torque apportioned to the rear wheels in Track mode, it squats heavily, the bold nose seemingly pointing at the sky before sling-shotting down the road. With traction comes big speed. The engine makes light work of the car’s heft, moving swiftly towards its 289km/h ceiling.

Then, it’s time to make use of the Trackhawk’s other spellbinding power – its brakes. Stand on them, and the vehicle pitches heavily over the nose, washing off speed clinically.

“Nice one, we’ll go back and try it again,” says Brandon, almost nonchalantly.

Soon after, the entire circuit is ours, albeit for only two laps. The engine remains the highlight of the experience – not surprising given the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is one of the most powerful registrable cars on Aussie roads.

The big Jeep’s turn-in response is telegraphed by some initial unrest at high speed, as the suspension and body grapple with one another before arriving at a flat, hunkered-down end point.

Toe the brake pedal and the body will rotate, mash it and it will dance disconcertingly.

From this point on, the all-wheel drive system, underbody wizardry and Pirelli rubber combine to provide faithful, re-assuring levels of grip through PI’s varying layout.

Perhaps the biggest mark of the Trackhawk’s dynamic acumen comes from watching the lead car in front, a garden-variety Grand Cherokee SRT driven by a professional racer. It leans overtly and binds itself up through corners where the Trackhawk simply exhibits poise. And power outputs between the two are poles apart.

Moreover, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s brutal power delivery is juxtaposed by steering that is light and offers adequate feel, if a little slow – all with an electric bent.

Exiting each corner becomes a game of patience, ensuring you pick the right time before really opening the taps on the blown V8. When you do, the response is instant and emphatic, heralded by a chest-thumping soundtrack with a healthy supercharger whine.

Hot laps in a Trackhawk mean constant re-fuelling. We reset the speedometer during our two laps to reveal an average fuel consumption of 40L/100km combined.

In regular driving, the Trackhawk consumes a claimed 16.8L/100km combined, according to Jeep. Using that as a loose template, and assuming you cover an average 15,000km quota every year, its annual fuel bill is creeping up towards $5000. Yep.

In the brief moments where we’re not chugging 98 RON by the bucket – mostly when rolling into the pits – the Trackhawk’s huge surfeit of riches cannot be shaded.

At 30km/h, the inertia of the engine is such that the car will amble along under its own power for as long as it pleases.

We can’t speak for the Jeep’s ride on regular roads, but suffice to say its multi-mode suspension feels a solid match for the bold 20-inch wheels and hardened dynamic resolve.

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Yes or no?

You can look at the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in one of two ways. On one hand, it’s an oversized, overpowered collusion of parts with an equally overbearing price tag; a vehicle ultimately about nothing but bragging rights.

On the other, it’s a family-sized SUV with the straight-line pace of a supercar.

Irrespectively, the Trackhawk is a riotous barrel of laughs; an SUV with real personality. Just try looking away…

How much is the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk?
Price: $134,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre V8 supercharged-petrol
Output: 522kW/868Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 16.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 385g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP