Hellcat-Powered Grand Cherokee Is Coming BackAndrei AvarvariiWhat It Is Do you remember the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk? You know, the borderline insane rocket ship of a Jeep with 707 horsepower? Well, after a lengthy hiatus, it's looking as though an all-new version of Jeep's most powerful Grand Cherokee ever is on track to return in the form of the 2028 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk—with a revised version of the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 lurking under the hood.Fans of Dodge, Jeep, and Ram have been clamoring for the return of massively powered V-8 Hellcat and SRT models, and Stellantis, the parent company of those brands, has started responding. The recently revealed Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, flexing a supercharged Hellcat that makes 777 hp and 680 lb-ft in the highest spec SRT form, is the first model to get the new super V-8 treatment, and the Grand Cherokee is in line to get a similar powertrain.Why It Matters In the wake of the Trump administration's easing of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, Stellantis has regained gas powertrain flexibility. The company was struggling to meet fuel-economy requirements imposed under the previous standards and had been hit particularly hard by financial penalties. But the newly relaxed rules have meant it's been able to revive its V-8 engine family, including the high-horsepower supercharged variants.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk would bring a much-needed dose of excitement to Jeep as a low volume halo model, and would be another in a line of new SRT models that Stellantis has planned for Dodge, Jeep, and Ram as part of a broader revival of the SRT subbrand. (Jeep also reportedly has plans to produce SRT versions of the Grand Wagoneer and the all-new Wrangler Scrambler truck.) The current Grand Cherokee is available with the aging 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 producing 293 hp and a version of the automaker's 2.0-liter turbocharged Hurricane four-cylinder making 324 hp. Depending on its final specifications, the supercharged V-8 could more than double those figures if its version produces the same 777 hp as the Rumble Bee.A revived Trackhawk would also give Jeep a chance to compete with high-performance SUVs from Mercedes-AMG and BMW M, potentially offering comparable or greater output at a lower price (the previous Trackhawk started in the mid 80k range and could be optioned up to around $100,000). It would also give Grand Cherokee buyers another powertrain option after Jeep dropped the plug-in-hybrid 4xe variant from the lineup beginning with the 2026 model year.Platform and Powertrain This would be the first time Stellantis pairs the supercharged V-8 with the Grand Cherokee's present WL platform, so Jeep would need to ensure the architecture, suspension, cooling system, brakes, and drivetrain could handle the additional power. The Grand Cherokee lineup as a whole is overdue for a refresh, so it stands to reason that it would shore up the platform for SRT duty when it does.It's still too early to know how much horsepower and torque the Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk would produce, but the 2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat offers a useful point of reference. Its version of the supercharged V-8 makes 710 hp, and the Grand Cherokee could land in a similar range. The previous Trackhawk of course made 707 horsepower.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Durango and Grand Cherokee once shared a platform, but the two models diverged when Jeep moved the Grand Cherokee to the newer WL architecture. The Durango is expected to migrate to that platform in the future, though for now the Grand Cherokee is the only one of the two based on it.Developing a supercharged V-8 version of the current Grand Cherokee could also help Stellantis accelerate work on a future Durango SRT Hellcat, which is also all but assured. Sharing engineering, cooling, and drivetrain solutions between the two SUVs could reduce development time and costs.Estimated Price: $90,000On-Sale Date: Fall 2027Photo credit: Andrei AvarvariiPhoto credit: Andrei Avarvarii