For most people, an SUV simply needs to be comfortable and spacious, but Dodge sees no reason not to make a seriously rapid one as well...

Share Tweet Email Whatsapp

If you desperately and regularly need to get three rows of people somewhere fast, Dodge has your perfect solution. The Durango SRT is a six-seat, 475bhp muscle monster that will hit 60mph in 4.4 seconds and smash the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds, despite sharing size and weight stats with an ocean liner. Top speed isn’t confirmed yet. With a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 providing the power behind the practicality, the hottest Durango will tow up to 3.9 metric tons as well as catapulting 12 clenched buttocks towards the horizon. Peak torque is 470lb ft at 4300rpm.

You’re not likely to miss it on the road courtesy of a wider body kit and lower ride height, part of which are front and rear springs stiffened by three and 16 per cent respectively. On the bonnet there’s a functional cold air intake and vents to improve cooling. Naturally it’s an automatic, which seems fair enough in an SUV, but there are now seven user-selectable drive modes for the driver to play with. Switch to Sport Mode and shift times are 50 per cent faster than standard, while up to 65 per cent of the V8’s freedom goes to the rear wheels.

Manually down-shifting via the steering wheel-mounted paddles activates a rev-matching function to blip the throttle, which is a good thing when the engine is attached to an exhaust specifically designed to be loud, deep and beefy. As well as Sport Mode, there’s Auto, Snow, Tow, Eco (no idea why) and Valet, which apparently changes the engine’s characteristics to mimic the V6 from the Charger, locking out access to first gear and shifting earlier than normal. Launch control and the paddle shifters are disabled.