2018 Dodge Durango SRT: the three-row rocket you didn’t know you wanted

If getting the peewee soccer team down a drag strip is a top priority (and it should be), Dodge has a new family hauler for you: The three-row Durango SUV is getting the SRT treatment to the tune of 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque sent to all four wheels. And no, this isn’t Dodge just cramming the 6.4-liter V8 under the hood and calling it a day. This is the fastest, most powerful three-row SUV, according to the automaker, and to get that claim past the legal team Dodge had to pack some other performance bits into this SUV.
The new SRT hood has a functional cold-air duct that is flanked by heat extractors. The lower front fascia houses LED fog lamps and more cooling ducts. The additional cooling bits lower intake temperatures by up to 18 degrees. Zero to 60 mph takes just 4.4 seconds while a quarter mile happens in 12.9 seconds -- as certified by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

The 2018 Durango SRT comes with seven drive modes: auto, sport, track, snow, tow, valet and ECO. Track mode delivers top on-road performance. The suspension is stiffened while stability control allows for maximum rear-end slippage. Shifts can be delivered as fast as 160 milliseconds while up to 70 percent of the torque is sent to the rear wheels.
The transmission handling all that horsepower is Dodge’s standard TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic, specifically calibrated for the Durango SRT. Rev matching is standard, as are paddle shifters for those who feel like shifting their own gears.
Tow mode turns on full stability control while sending power 50/50 through the AWD system. Active Noise Cancelation is automatically engaged to reduce engine noise during high-load towing conditions. Towing capacity has been increased to 8,600 pounds -- up from 7,200.
Standard are five-spoke, 20-inch wheels in "black noise" finish. Pirelli 295/45ZR-20 Scorpion Verde all-season tires are standard rubber; Pirelli P Zero three-season tires are also available. Twenty-inch forged aluminum wheels with a split five-spoke design are also available in black noise.

 Stopping power is provided by 15-inch rotors with six-piston Brembo calipers up front and 13-inch rotors and four-piston calipers at the rear.
Inside, there is a hand-wrapped dashboard with silver accents, a SRT flat-bottom steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain’s chairs. Standard materials are nappa leather with suede inserts, while "demonic red Laguna" leather is optional and also gets carbon-fiber trim. SRT logos are plentiful on the upholstery. Also, there is a new 7-inch TFT instrument cluster with a 180-mph speedometer that allows the driver to customize the layouts and information. The BeatsAudio premium sound system, which is standard, features nine speakers, a subwoofer and a 506-watt amplifier.
A few badges around the SUV give it away that this is more than your standard family hauler. There is an SRT badge in the grille and two 392 badges on the fenders. Other visual changes include the new hood and front fascia, a revised rear fascia and dual exhaust system with 4-inch tips finished in nickel chrome.
Pricing for the 2018 Dodge Challenger has yet to be announced. We expect that information to break closer to the SUV’s on-sale date, which is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year. We don't know if we can wait that long. We have some groceries to get.

 source : http://autoweek.com