Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 2018 Review

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is an unmitigated success in one key area, arguably THE key area for car lovers – driver involvement.

It is true that the Jeep Grand Cherokee upon which this vehicle is based has a chequered past, what with umpteen recalls and former owners variously setting them on fire and celebrating the immolation by incorporating them into music videos…

But never in my entire career have I laughed with such untrammeled joy than when I buried the loud pedal in the Trackhawk for the first time.

Forget fast, this vehicle is ballistic!

Even if you're just blasting from 0-60km/h near the airport, blitzing the traffic light tango, the process is a delight for the senses. The guttural roar from the V8, the subtle supercharger whine, the sensation of your torso being pressed into the seat back as the front-end lifts like a speedboat gaining pace.

Action, drama, romance!? Well, two out of three ain't bad.

The first time I tromped that throttle from standstill, and the second time, and the third time, and pretty much all week until I had to hand the keys back to the FCA peeps, this thing offered thrills. It accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and can shuffle up to 70 per cent of the driving torque to the rear axle, although usually it delivers a 50:50 split.

Top speed is an eye-watering 290km/h, at which point it would probably guzzle a full tank of fuel in minutes, not hours!

The leather seats are nice, the digital instrument display is cool and everything is quite bold. But, what makes this car special and memorable is that engine and the way the car launches forward spinning all four wheels under full load. Foolhardy fun? Yes please!

The Trackhawk's 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engine is lifted from the Dodge Challenger Hellcat coupe (not available here) and although very similar, it is not identical. It still features twin air-to-water intercoolers and a 14,600rpm supercharger from IHI Turbo America that generates 11.6psi of boost. Although this engine makes slightly less power and noise than the Challenger Hellcat (to improve drivability), it's still very loud and very satisfying.

For all its speed and the way the supercharger's whine rises in pitch, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a pretty good daily driver.

Okay, so it only drinks 98 RON fuel but it isn't so big you can't park it home in the driveway, in an underground carpark or the school drop off zone.

With lots of parking sensors and a reverse facing camera, I had no issues slotting the Jeep's considerable mass into squeezy carparks and it's nicely relaxed in slow-moving traffic. In fact, it's actually better than many of its Japanese rivals because the suspension is tuned for American audiences who prefer a bit more cushiness.

Indeed, ride comfort is remarkably good for an SUV that sits on stiffer, lower suspension than regular Jeep GCs, thanks in large part to Bilstein adaptive dampers. These can be switched to a softer setting for everyday driving giving the Trackhawk benign commuting manners.

South Melbourne’s cobbled alleyways test suspension comprehensively and the Trackhawk smoothed these admirably, along with all but the biggest potholes around my place, while the super light steering makes sharp right-angle turns a doddle. It’s fair to point out that the lifeless steering isn't great for dynamic driving but it's perfect around town and the turning circle (11.6m) for this big Bertha ain't bad either.

The keyless entry and engine start speeds up quick dashes to the shops – although every time you prod the throttle you'll wish you used the shopping bag hooks… three bean mix everywhere!

The Trackhawk is a family hauler that conceals a brutish speedster. It can be driven softly and quietly and, although it'll never be fuel-efficient, it's also very capable of leaving the suburbs behind and heading bush.

Empty the big beast of people and belongings, turn the dials and buttons to attack mode, and the 2.4-tonne Jeep Trackhawk is a weapon.

It monsters its way through tight winding passes with the grace of a rotting whale carcass, but is fast point to point. The big 20-inch alloy wheels are shod with sticky Pirelli P Zero rubber, 295/45ZR at all four corners, which deliver a fair bit of grip.

The Trackhawk sits fairly flat through corners when the dampers are switched to sports mode and the acceleration is nothing less than explosive, but it's the Trackhawk's arresting deceleration that had me chuckling consistently.

The sizable (and yellow!) six-piston front Brembo brake calipers gnaw massive 400mm discs, while the rear four-pot calipers work over 350mm discs and, together they deliver the sort of stopping power rarely associated with an SUV.

This is not the most enjoyable performance car I've ever driven and you're always aware of its significant mass as you increase the tempo. But dial it back from 80 per cent intensity to 60 per cent and the Trackhawk is fun on a challenging road.

Closing the driver's door and thumbing the starter button never gets old. The roar of the engine as it ignites is spine-tinglingly enticing.

The interior has a high-quality feel to it, from the materials in use, with soft leather everywhere, to high-end dials and large infotainment screen. However, the red-on-black interior of this particular Trackhawk was on the verge of tacky… Conservative buyers may want to try and get black-on-black.

The radar cruise control system had a couple of glitches now and then, cancelling itself for no obvious reason and I had trouble playing audio via Bluetooth from my phone. I could take and make calls, but playing audio eluded me. Probably operator error.

There's loads of room up front, ample space for back seat passengers and the boot swallows 782 litres of gear, expanding to 1554 when you flip the rear seats via the cargo area. There's ISOFIX and top tether child seat anchorages in case you want to indoctrinate your children into the V8 club, and getting in and out of the vehicle is nice and easy thanks to the high hip height.

The strengthened ZF eight-speed gearbox, new rear LSD/transfer case combo and strengthened driveshafts were designed specifically for the Trackhawk.

There's also a special performance computer that offers loads of different parameters and as Sam and Matt have attested, the Trackhawk is more than capable of several hot laps on the race track. There's a launch mode that holds the revs then lets rip… but unless you're at the drag strip you really don’t need it. Just tromp the throttle and the American hustler will blast forward with all four wheels spinning momentarily.

It's nuts. I loved every minute of it.

There's no hybrid version of the Trackhawk (yet) because the purists want an old-school setup that remind them of their youth, when V8s were everywhere and carbon emissions were something you scraped off burnt toast.

The engine is not as elaborate as, say, BMW's new quad-turbo diesel but it doesn't need to be – it's just eight-cylinders, two old-school pushrod overhead valves for each cylinder and a big crank-driven supercharger.

For the Trackhawk there's powder-forged conrods and high-strength, forged alloy pistons to cope with all the extreme pressure. A cold air intake is hidden low in the front apron to cope with the engine's greed for combustibles – namely oxygen – and the result is a big, thumping, rumbling menace that kids will love.

The ZF eight-speed transmission has been strengthened, as have the driveshafts. Indeed, regularly slamming almost 900Nm of torque into the eight-speed gearbox then out through all four wheels requires a little forward planning to avoid catastrophic malfunction.

If you live in the USA, tuning group Hennessey can tweak the engine to deliver just over 1000hp, which shaves a full second off the 0-100km/h.

The Grand Cherokee is Jeep's most popular model in Australia (by far), however its 3208 sales to the end of September in 2018 is down 20 per cent on the year prior, of around 4000 vehicles.

Nevertheless, there's clearly still a lot of love for the big beast and the flagship model will go down in the annals of history as being one of the most outrageous animals ever made as we close in on 2020 and the severe emissions regulations that will herald.

Given the Grand Cherokee's track record regards to recalls, organising an extended warranty with the dealership would be prudent. But really, I'm willing to forgive the car's colourful past and thirst for fossil fuels, for now, because anything that can almost double me over with near-uncontrollable laughter in a 60km/h zone is something quite special – and especially at this price point.

The Jeep Trackhawk's closest rivals have more badge value, such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW X5 M, but they don't have the explosive pace nor the affordability.

This side of a high-powered motorcycle or supercharged jetski, there's few vehicles that are so ridiculously, hilariously, stratospherically potent. I reckon if a vehicle can deliver such a powerful emotional effect, even in regular traffic, it is a must-have.

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