My adventure with The 2021 Dodge SRT Hellcat started with a pre-delivery email that said “with great power comes great responsibility” which totally caught my attention. The email ended with “have a blast”. I did indeed have a blast and this was one of my favorite all time driving experiences.
The 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat runs 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.5 seconds, has a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) certified quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds, a top speed of 180 mph and runs 1.5 seconds faster than the SRT 392 on a 2.1-mile road course, equal to 9 car lengths after one lap.
The Demonic Red / Black interior looks awesome and it’s just a great looking vehicle. I was surprised at how many people approached me. It was either to pay a compliment, ask what make and model and many already knew it was a Hellcat. The bottom line is you will get noticed driving a Hellcat around town.
Exterior
The exterior of the 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat is new , aggressive and modern. The design has a new front fascia, LED low/high headlamps, signature LED daytime running lamps (DRL), sculpted hood, grille, rear spoiler and a variety of wheel options. My tester came with 20-inch-by-10-inch machined faced with Mid-gloss Black pockets is standard on SRT Hellcat. The Pirelli Verde Zero 295/45ZR20 BSW All-Season Tires look great with these rims. The Hellcat gets attention and a lot of compliments.
Interior
The first thing I noticed were the beautiful optional High Performance Laguna Leather Seats in Demonic Red. Once I strapped in, I could feel the overall driver centric utility of the cockpit. Everything from the dash to the instrument panel is refined, upscale and high-tech.
A fully electronic, performance-inspired shifter controls the standard TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission and gives the driver the look and feel of a traditional linkage shifter.
On Durango GT, R/T, Citadel, SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models, each price class has an available wrapped instrument panel. All price classes feature a newly designed, roomy console that offers more bin storage, soft-wrapped and accent-stitched surround and available, convenient wireless charging.
My test vehicle had the optional rear DVD Entertainment Center and the optional19 Harman Kardon® Amped Speakers with Subwoofer 825-Watt Amplifier.
Dodge hits a homerun with the Hellcat and the interior is just another example of how the Hellcat maintains its world-class precision styling.
Engine / Powertrain
2021 Durango SRT Hellcat delivers 710 horsepower and 645 lb.-ft. of torque
Powered by the proven supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8 engine paired with the quick-shifting TorqueFlite 8HP95 eight-speed automatic transmission, the three-row muscle car Dodge Durango joins Challenger and Charger in Hellcat form, delivering 710 horsepower and 645 lb.-ft. of torque
Special Options / Package
New for 2021, the R/T with the available Tow N Go Package has unmatched towing of 8,700 lbs.with Track, Sport, Snow and Tow drive modes accessed through the hard buttons on the all-new integrated center stack. .
The Durango R/T Tow N Go Package also gets SRT wheels and tires, Brembo brakes, flares and sills, exhaust with tips and a lower valance.
For the price you get a lot of value with this option.
Safety
With this much power comes a lot of responsibility. Dodge has added a lot of safety features to the Durango. The full suite of safety features, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking, Advanced Brake Assist and LaneSense Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist, also comes standard.
Conclusion
The 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat is one of my favorite all time vehicles. I love this SUV for many reasons but the cool thing is you don’t see a lot of them on the road. Dodge hits a homerun on The Hellcat in every area. The Exterior looks as amazing as it drives. The interior is well crafted and you would be hard pressed to find a street legal vehicle that is more fun to drive, especially an SUV. The power is there in a major way and Dodge provides a lot of value and options.
In June 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS).
In 2021 the SRT version is being made available across the entire Dodge line-up of vehicles.
The starting MSRP is $80,995 and the version I tested MSRP is $95,730.
For more information on Dodge SRT vehicles and The Hellcat click below:
