Tested: 2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Is Old But Still Good
The last Hellcat standing is one for the ages. It's ironic the Durango SRT Hellcat outlived every other variant with the famous name, Dodge originally only planned a one-year production run back in 2021. The decision to reverse course made some people mad enough to sue, but as of today, the Durango Hellcat remains on sale for the 2025 model year, and is confirmed to last into 2026. But you won't hear any complaint from us about the continued existence of a supercharged V-8-powered three-row SUV. Bring on the Hellcats for as long as you can swing 'em, Dodge.
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
The Lowdown
If you're already familiar, nothing much has changed since 2021 on the Durango Hellcat. It's rocking the signature supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 under its hood. Output lags behind the discontinued Charger and Challenger Hellcat versions, but only barely at 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed ZF automatic handles all shifting duties, while the Durango's all-wheel-drive system transmits its copious power to the ground without interruption.
Dodge gives buyers the whole performance package, including a model-specific suspension, big Brembo brakes, and functional aero to maintain poise alongside all the extra power. The special edition model tested here is the "Brass Monkey," and it's largely an appearance package meant to celebrate 20 years of Hemi power in Dodge SUVs.
- Vehicle Tested: 2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Brass Monkey
- Base Price: $102,890
- Price as tested: $103,285
- Location: Royal Oak, MI
More Specs:
Engine: 6166cc supercharged V-8
Power: 710 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 645 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
0-60 mph: 3.5-sec.
Transmission: 8-speed auto, all-wheel drive
Weight: 5575 lbs
EPA MPG: 12 / 17 / 13 (city / highway / combined)
How Does It Drive?
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
I'm not ashamed to say the Durango Hellcat is one of my favorite SRT products of all time. Transmitting the full force of the Hellcat's mighty engine to forward motion thanks to all-wheel drive is something Jeep offered on the Trackhawk and Ram with the TRX. But that doesn't make it any less sensational here. All of the typical Hellcat sounds are echoing through the cabin. That unmistakable supercharger whine. The ear-splitting roar of the exhaust. Even the riiip from every shift is just like the Charger and the Challenger. Except instead of tempering a wily rear end all the way through second and into third gear, the Durango Hellcat simply sticks and rips.
Nothing else with three rows and a gas engine has a quicker claimed 0–60 time at 3.5 seconds. The Durango Hellcat isn't afraid of a corner either. Active dampers resist the Durango's natural tendency to roll, turning the suspension from daily-driver plush to uncomfortably stiff at the tap of a button. I loved the range of change and was not mad in the least when the Hellcat responded on turn-in like a car that wanted to be hustled. Okay, so the heavy steering rack is perhaps trying to mask the deficiencies of trying to make a 5575-pound SUV dance. But I still emerged from every drive smiling, especially given the drama-free way the all-wheel drive shuffled the Hellcat out of every corner without complaint.
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
Usually, it's the Europeans that like to make their enormous SUVs masquerade as sports cars, but Dodge does a worthy impression of vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 or BMW X7 M60i. The one thing that would have made it better would have been opting for the stickier three-season tires instead of the all-season rubber on my test car. But you don't need to be running up and down a mountain pass to have fun in the Durango Hellcat. Any clear stretch of road was an opportunity to slap it into manual mode and hear the V-8 bellow before slowing down and snatching downshifts, listening to the supercharger yelp away. Hellcat drivers will not be sneaking away; there is no quiet, neighbor-friendly mode for the exhaust when setting out.
It's the most juvenile kind of fun. But hey, that's what the Hellcat is all about.
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
The Hellcat is also as useful as the regular Durango, as long as the gas budget is high. With the suspension and drive modes in their laziest settings it was a perfectly relaxed cruiser, although I found it near impossible not to be tempted to press the throttle a little deeper to get a taste of the supercharger each time I left a stoplight. Every drive is simply an event, whether you're catching the keen eye of a fellow enthusiast at a light with the low-key Hellcat badge on the fender or finding peace by disappearing a long highway on-ramp. I could not help but love driving this ridiculous vehicle.
What's It Like to Live With?
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
The Durango Hellcat is an "if you know, you know" car. Most of the general populace won't think anything of it when they pull up alongside you. It's a textbook factory sleeper, so long as you avoid ticking the box for racing stripes. Things are low-key inside the Hellcat too, though the Brass Monkey extras did dress things up. The Sepia leather seats, contrast stitching, suede headliner, and forged carbon all helped to make it appear more premium than a regular Durango. Just don't expect true luxury like the German super SUVs offer alongside the performance.
A plus is the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, the best Stellantis has on offer, though the part-analog, part-digital cluster was a tad hinky, with noticeable lag from inputs. There's a hard button for everything outside of the drive-mode control, which is frustratingly tucked into the touchscreen. And while I'm glad the typical Stellantis-product media controls can be found on the rear of the steering wheel, the shift-paddle size felt awkwardly small as a result.
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
The Durango's three rows of seats are a boon for utility, as long as the party is limited to no more than six people—the second row features captain's chairs as standard rather than a bench. But the boxy shape provides impressive utility, and the Hellcat backs that with a massive 8700-pound towing capacity. When it comes to elite race-car tow rigs, the Durango Hellcat stands tall as one of the most glorious options to date. Sure, it could haul a drag car to the strip. But unhitch the trailer, and the Durango would immediately become a formidable opponent itself, Dodge claiming an 11.5-second quarter-mile time alongside a 180-mph top speed.
It also has the same Performance Pages tech features of other Hellcats, like live acceleration timing, launch control with adjustable rpm, and shift lights in the dash.
Should I Buy One?
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
Get it while it's hot. Dodge's strategy when it comes to muscle cars and performance SUVs is far from clear today. The Hemi is being tossed back into the Ram 1500 after a year off, and rumors continue to fly over the new Charger's powertrains. While the Durango Hellcat is already confirmed to be sticking around through 2026, it's unclear what the model's fate will hold after that. This generation of Durango hit the streets as a 2011 model, and when the next one comes out, there's no guarantee a V-8 engine will even be an option.
The six-figure price is steep for a Dodge. Yet the Hellcat is a bargain compared to others like the Cadillac Escalade-V or Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. Sure, there are three-row electric SUVs that'd leave the Durango Hellcat for dead from a dig, but they are likely to cater to a very different audience. Dodge threw its best engine and a rocking suspension at a vehicle with no business being this cool; it's an SUV with the heart and spirit of a muscle car. It's also proof that sometimes preposterous ideas breed some of the best performance vehicles.
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
Highlights and Lowlights
We Love:
- The Hellcat engine gives huge performance plus charisma.
- Against all odds, the chassis is great.
- Understated design, but it's recognizable to those in the know.
We Don't:
- Low-rent Dodge plastics at a six-figure price.
- The standard all-season tires let down the suspension's talents.
Favorite Detail:
The Brass Monkey wheel-and-brake package is the best yet for the various Durango special editions. My favorite wheel color in Dodge's catalog is Brass Monkey, and to pair it with black-painted Brembos and this purple-tinged Red Oxide paint is the perfect mixture of menacing and classy.
2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
