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<\/p>\n<\/div>New York<\/em> \u2014 What would happen if Fiat-Chrysler Automobile\u2019s iconic Detroit brands \u2014 Jeep and Hellcat \u2014 had a love child? Say hello to the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk SUV.<\/p>\n In a dramatic New York Auto Show unveiling before a packed house Wednesday, Jeep introduced the most powerful sport-ute ever with 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. Perched on a four-wheel dynamometer on the Javits Convention Center stage, the blood-red, V-8 powered monster roared to life and proceeded to accelerate \u2014 in place \u2014 through the SUV\u2019s record-setting numbers: zero-60 in 3.5 seconds; the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at 116 mph; then onwards to just shy of its 180 mph top speed.<\/p>\n The third FCA vehicle to receive its supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat engine, the Trackhawk sports super sports-car acceleration and stopping power. With massive Brembo performance brakes, soccer moms can still bring the 5,550-pound behemoth to a stop and let the kids out for school.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Jeep calls out to the inner race-car driver we always wanted to be,\u201d Jeep boss Mike Manley proclaimed.<\/p>\n Where the Dodge Challenger Hellcat coupe and Charger Hellcat sedan drip with menace, the Trackhawk attracts less attention. You\u2019ll know it by the black mask surrounding the trademark seven-slot grille, twin-scoop hood heat extractors and quad-exhaust pipes out the rear.<\/p>\n \u201cOur heritage and history is off-road capability, but the key word is capability,\u201d Manley said in an interview with The Detroit News. \u201cWe have a history of producing high-performance SUVs. There\u2019s been quite a big following within the Jeep community for extreme off-road with our Trackhawk, but also on-road capability as well. Grand Cherokee is now the most powerful and quickest SUV.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trackhawk is the third evolution of the Jeep muscle-ute based on the popular Grand Cherokee, the second-bestselling midsize SUV behind the Ford Explorer. The first generation debuted in 2006 as the 420-horse Grand Cherokee SRT8 that was in production until 2011. Since 2012, Jeep has produced the $67,890 Grand Cherokee SRT. It features a 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter V-8 shared with the base Dodge Challenger SRT.<\/p>\n The Trackhawk, says Manley, will go above and beyond SRT with Hellcat power. That makes it an affordable competitor to SUV luxury beasts like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW M X5.<\/p>\n \u201cThe SRT and Trackhawk are very different,\u201d says Manley. He ticks off the list: The Trackhawk is supercharged with much-higher horsepower. Fog lamps are removed, brakes are upgraded significantly, quad pipes added. But still packed with safety security features, and can still tow 7,200 pounds.<\/p>\n Jeep literature features the Trackhawk photographed at Atlanta Motorsports Park race track, where the big SUV can pull 0.88 g-loads in turns. That\u2019s comparable to a Challenger R\/T.<\/p>\n Despite weighing 1,000 pounds more than the Charger Hellcat, the Trackhawk boasts similar zero-60 times thanks to all-wheel drive and a so-called \u201cTorque Reserve\u201d launch-control feature that helps limit torque before the brake is released. It\u2019s the same tool that launches the Challenger SRT Demon, which is sharing FCA-muscle billing at this year\u2019s show.<\/p>\n The Trailhawk\u2019s supercharged drivetrain \u2014 aluminum-alloy cylinder heads, all-wheel-drive, limited-slip differential, the works \u2014 is state-of-the-art, as are its interior and safety systems.<\/p>\n The award-winning, 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen anchors the console featuring, for the first time, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. The standard black \u201cTrackhawk\u201d logo-embossed Nappa leather and suede seats are heated in the front and rear. Dark Ruby Red seats and seat belts, and a dual-pane panoramic sunroof are available options.<\/p>\n The Trackhawk features \u201cTrailer Hitch Camera View at Speed\u201d so passengers can keep an eye on the speedboat through the rear-mounted camera while moving. Other safety systems include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist and lane-departure warning.<\/p>\n Are there more Trackhawks in Jeep\u2019s future?<\/p>\n \u201cFor now it\u2019s a Grand Cherokee thing,\u201d said Manley. \u201cThere\u2019s opportunities with some of the others, but no plans at the moment. Grand Cherokee has a halo-effect for the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n