Dodge Extends Durango SRT Hellcat Lifeline
Hey, remember when we said that Dodge decided to discontinue the Durango SRT Hellcat in June 2020? Well, you didn’t hear it from us, exactly. Someone through the grapevines revealed the plans Dodge had for the hellcat-powered SUV, but it seems they’re wrong. Or at least, the fate of the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is not as soon as it would seem. As it turns out, Dodge did not put an end to production back in June 2020. In fact, production for the SUV is still going. Hey, with 2,000 units sold, every order has to be filled, or there will be some very unhappy consumers.
While Dodge is focused primarily on taking care of consumer orders first, dealerships around the U.S. will also be getting their orders in soon. Yes, if you missed the mad dash to get a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, have no fear. A dealership may have grabbed one of the units to be built. Now, production was originally supposed to come to a halt in June 2021 to make way for the Dodge Durango plug-in, known as the Durango mHEV. With an investment of $3 billion going toward this new venture, it’s understandable that then Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), now Stellantis, would want to push high-octane high-performance vehicles out of the spotlight and focus on more green vehicles.
However, Dodge isn’t going down without a fight. We got the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody and the Charger Widebody, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye. Damn it all, we have the 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, a muscle car capable of generating 807 horsepower and 707 lb.-ft. of torque. Does anyone doubt that Dodge will still be producing high-performance vehicles for years to come? Yes, actually, Dodge is getting an electric vehicle.
According to Mike Manley, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now part of the Stellantis merger), stated that the long list of powertrains was coming to an end. We may even see the end of the Dodge Challenger with the Dodge Charger or new vehicle altogether replacing it as the flagship model of the automaker. Many bets are on Dodge resurrecting the Plymouth Barracuda with the FCA having registered the Cuda trademark every year for the last three. Until then, however, we get to revel in high-performance vehicles from Dodge, and that includes the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat.
So, what happened? Why is Dodge extending the lifeline of the Durango SRT? Like we said above, every order has to be filled. Dodge wasn’t expecting such a large response, apparently, and if 2,000 units were sold then 2,000 units will be made – period. Luckily, not all units of SRT vehicles produced each year are sold. Nothing wrong with a little scavenging to switch out an engine bay to get the materials needed to fulfill an order.
“Any time you launch a limited-production vehicle and plan to build fewer units than the number of Dodge dealers across the country, you risk leaving a lot of customers very unhappy…As we finalized the production plan for this amazing SUV, we found a way to move some 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V8 engines from other vehicles to ensure every ‘sold order’ in our systems will get built. We didn’t want to disappoint these customers and wanted to find a way to ensure they are part of the Brotherhood of Muscle.” – Bob Broderdorf, Director of Dodge Operations North America, told Dodge Garage
What do you think about the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat? Too much? Perhaps the Durango SRT was enough. Let us know on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media.