Jeep Trackhawk will be cheaper than expected

How much will Jeep’s bonkers new Grand Cherokee Trackhawk cost? Just $134,900 plus on-road costs – far less than the $140K we expected.

Slamming down an unholy 522kW of power, or 707hp, the Jeep Trackhawk is billed as the world’s most powerful SUV and now it’s on sale in Australia, where first deliveries commence in January.

However, that applies only to the $154,000 ‘Launch Edition’, which was sold out in just three weeks when announced in early September.

Just 62 versions of that model will arrive here, each fitted with a numbered badge, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, signature leather-wrapped interior, 20-inch black satin forged alloy wheels and black or black/red Laguna leather as no-cost options.

Deliveries of ‘regular’, non-launch-edition Trackhawk vehicles will start in early March and motoring.com.au understands that Australia is expected to be the biggest market for Trackhawk outside of the US, so supply is unlikely to be an issue.

The berserk Grand Cherokee is powered by a 6.2-litre supercharged HEMI V8 borrowed from the bananas Dodge Challenger Hellcat. In the Trackhawk, the off-chops engine channels its 522kW and 868Nm to all four wheels – not just the rears – ensuring it accelerates like an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The official 0-100km/h claim is 3.7 seconds and its 522kW makes it the world's most powerful V8 SUV ever built. It even generates more power than HSV’s swansong HSV GTS W1 limited-edition, which won Australia's Best Driver's Car in 2017.

Jeep says the top speed of the angry American SUV is 289km/h, which -- for a big, heavy, boxy block of a blown V8 machine -- is astounding, and the quarter-mile is officially dispatched in just 11.6 seconds.

The $134,900 price buys you an eight-speed automatic transmission, 20-inch forged and polished alloy wheels, an electronically-controlled limited-slip rear differential, an active on-demand 4x4 system, Brembo brakes, active damping suspension, seven airbags and a thumping 19-speaker, 825-Watt Harman Kardon stereo.

An 8.4-inch infotainment screen with sat-nav, digital radio, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is also standard.

Driver assistance tech includes lane departure and forward collision warning to alert you when to stop looking at your smart phone in traffic, plus adaptive radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection and trailer sway control.

Towing? The Jeep Trackhawk will cope with a braked trailer weight of up to 2949kg.

Oh, and it gets launch control too, which is handy when that BMW X5 M wants to rumble at the traffic lights.

The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has a supercharger that pumps up 11.6psi or 0.8 bar of boost pressure, cramming more air -- and fuel -- into the blown engine's eight cylinders.

This helps boost torque and power to ludicrous levels. It makes the vehicle far more potent than the Grand Cherokee SRT donor model, which belts out a mere 344kW 6.4-litre V8 without a supercharger.

Fuel consumption for the Jeep Trackhawk model is 16.8L/100km, making the mind-blowing Grand Cherokee one of the thirstiest vehicles in Australia, as well as one of the fastest.

Speaking at the Australian public debut of Jeep’s first Trackhawk model last night, Jeep Australia president and CEO, Steve Zanlunghi: "The Jeep Trackhawk is the third most powerful vehicle – not just SUV – in Australia."

So the Ferrari F12 (545kW/690Nm) and Lamborghini Aventador S (544kW/690Nm) have more power but less torque… and they cost just a little bit more -- around $700K and $800K apiece.

That said, the Tesla Model X is quicker to 100km/h by half a second, which is an eternity in high-performance vehicle terms, but Jeep doesn't consider the Tesla Model X ‘crossover’ a rival for the Trackhawk SUV.

And while Model X pricing starts at $139,834, the quickest P100D model is priced at a cool $255,534.

Audi’s SQ7, meantime, costs $155,510, while the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S costs $193,211, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo $237,500 ($289,900 for the Turbo S) and the 300km/h-plus Bentley Bentayga W12 no less than $427,300.

Jeep Australia says the combination of a sub-$135K pricetag and class-leading power and performance make the Trackhawk unrivalled value for money, as evidenced by unprecedented initial demand.

"As soon as we announced that the Trackhawk was destined for Australia, our dealers were inundated with enquiry and started taking orders," said Zanlunghi.

"In terms of value for money in the performance segment, it will be difficult to find anything else that comes close," he observed.

Compared to regular Jeep Grand Cherokee models, the Trackhawk gets twin bonnet vents, a more aggressive front fascia and larger air-dams to feed the engine with more oxygen. Pumped wheel-arches and Trackhawk badges are added too.

There's a smattering of carbon-fibre inside the cabin, plus a flat-bottom, three-spoke steering wheel and Nappa leather sports seats that have heating and cooling functionality.

Has Jeep hit the nail on the head with a $134,900 pricetag for its bludgeoning 522kW behemoth? Have your say in the comments below.