2018 Dodge Durango SRT: First Drive Review Tacoma Washington 2018

2018 Dodge Durango SRT: First Drive Review Newport News Virginia 2018

Dodge Durango Suv Reviews

2018 Dodge Durango SRT: First Drive Review

The Dodge Durango has always been a bit of a sleeper in the FCA family. Overshadowed by its stablemate and mechanical cousin, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Durango was often overlooked by SUV shoppers. The 2018 Dodge Durango SRT may change that, coming with the claim that it is “America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable 3-row SUV.” We recently had a chance to drive the latest SRT SUV on the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and on the streets of Indiana to test those claims.
What is SRT?

SRT stands for “Street and Racing Technologies,” and it’s the high-performance arm of Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep. SRT began as the team that created the Dodge Viper and merged with the team that created the Plymouth Prowler to become Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE). For a brief time (2012-2014), SRT was its own division, but it is now under the Dodge umbrella. Think of it as Dodge’s version of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG, BMW’s M, Ford’s SVT or Cadillac’s V — basically an engineering and manufacturing team organized to get the most performance possible out of select company products. 2017 offerings included Viper SRT, Charger SRT Hellcat, Challenger SRT Hellcat, Charger SRT 392, Challenger SRT 392 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. 2018 will say goodbye to the Viper and add the Challenger SRT Demon and Durango SRT.
What is the Durango?

The Durango has been around for three generations. The first two generations (1998-2003, 2004-2009) were traditional body-on-frame sport utility vehicles, based on the same platform as the Dodge Dakota mid-size pickup. In 2010 (for the 2011 model year), Durango got a full redesign, and moved over to the unibody platform that it shares with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Durango got a mild facelift for 2014, and has been hovering above 60,000 annual sales ever since — less than a third of Grand Cherokee’s sales figures.

Durango is a 3-row SUV. It has a wheelbase of 119.8 inches (5 in longer than Grand Cherokee), and an overall length of 201.2 in (12.4 in longer than the Jeep). The base Durango is a few hundred pounds heavier than the base Grand Cherokee at 4,680 lbs, while the Durango SRT weighs in at 5,510 lbs. The least-expensive Durango, the SXT trim model, starts at $29,995, while the base Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4×2 starts at $30,395 – which is one reason Durango is somewhat of a sleeper.
SRT Flair

SRT starts with the basic Durango exterior, and puts its stamp on the SUV in a few subtle ways. A performance front fascia with a unique body-color grille gives the SRT a new, more assertive face, backed up by a Performance Hood that features a functional air intake at the center — always a hint that there’s a monster engine lurking beneath. 6.5-liter HEMI badges confirm the rumor, and SRT badges let you know who’s responsible. The roof rails and crossbars are gone for a sleeker look and better aerodynamics. HID low beams/LED high beams and LED fog lamps light the way, with Durango’s signature LED tail lamps holding up the rear view. The SRT rides on 20-in x 10-in 5-spoke low gloss black alloy wheels — a menacing look — wrapped with Pirelli all-season tires. The changes are subtle, they’re few, but they’re effective, sharpening the look of the SRT Durango over the other trim levels.
2018 Dodge Durango SRT: First Drive Review

As we found when we added one to our long-term fleet, the Dodge Durango GT is a large, functional SUV that’s additionally sportier compared to you might expect. That claimed, with a 295-hp V-6 under the hood, it’s no place near as effective as the Durango SRT 392. Yet with the new Rallye Appearance Bundle, you could at least give the Durango GT an SRT-inspired look.

Reported today, the Rallye Appearance Bundle supplies an extra hostile front end, a sportier hood, and also LED foglamps. It may not be essential, however Dodge claims the hood scoop and also vents are actually functional. If you tow a lot, it possibly can not hurt.

” Many of our clients love the efficiency look of the Durango R/T and also Durango SRT, however are happy with the prize-winning Pentastar V-6 engine’s 295 horsepower and also the outstanding gas efficiency it supplies,” claimed Steve Beahm, FCA’s North American head of auto, in a release. “This new Durango GT Rallye Appearance Bundle gives those three-row SUV customers the best of both globes.”

The Rallye package is readily available to get currently for $1,495 and also come in 7 various shades. Taking Into Consideration the Durango GT starts at $38,990 including location, that brings the base rate of a Rallye-equipped Durango to $40,485.

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