Dodge Challenger Hellcat 2017 Review

If a picture tells a thousand words, a sound bite of this American sledgehammer could write a novel. You might call it the Holy Grail of Engines.

The Hellcat is a flag-bearer for traditional V8 performance. It telegraphs to the world its surfeit of riches via meaty cubic inches, using 6.2-litres of displacement and a supercharger to provide forward thrust.

Clearly the resulting 527kW of power (707 horsepower) and 880Nm of torque is enough to overcome the Hellcat’s sizeable 2017kg kerb mass, enabling a 0-100km/h time of about 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 320km/h. If you’d prefer to use the quarter-mile benchmark, an 11.2 second time is claimed.

In doing so, the Hellcat became the flagship model of the Dodge Challenger line-up at its introduction in 2015.

So what, you ask?
Well, pleasingly for Australian enthusiasts, the Hellcat engine will soon no longer be the exclusive domain of Youtube videos and private right-hand drive conversions. FCA Australia is set to import the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk into local showrooms so Aussie rev-heads will soon have access to this prodigious donk in the form of a five-seat SUV.

Based on a recent five-day adventure in North America aboard the Dodge flagship, Aussie SUV buyers have much to anticipate.

No replacement for displacement
Thumbing the starter button in the Hellcat for the first time is like an anthemic prelude; a keen stirring of the senses that goads your caveman instincts like the flame of a campfire.

Even at idle, the engine delivers sound bites in lumpy, unrelenting doses. It’s all very fitting in the U.S., helping our self-prescribed ‘Brash Yellow’ number etch a special place in the hearts of regular citizens, enthusiasts and even police officers who came across it.

Subjectively, in the metal, the Hellcat is a great looking machine, owed in part to its blend of muscular proportions, clean lines and curves, as well as a tasteful infusion of previous Challenger styling (spanning all the way back to the nameplate’s 1960s origins).

Ultimately, though, you keep coming back to that engine - the size and tune of which presents its own idiosyncrasies.

The huge internal inertia is such that the Hellcat will settle itself into a self-perpetuating lumber at low speeds, producing enough carry-through momentum for the car to lope along unassisted at 30-40km/h.

This trait is embellished during full-throttle blasts, where the accumulative acceleration and inertia tends to snowball very, very fast – almost like rev hang-up on steroids. The upshot is you really need to pick your moments.

The subtle differential whine in our relatively fresh, low kilometre example also rams home the fact Hellcat’s 527kW is delivered with little mechanical sympathy. However, the car’s five-year, 60,000-mile (96,000km) mechanical warranty in North America suggests factory provisions – which conclude with every 6.2-litre engine running on a dyno for 42 minutes before installation - are ample.

Dodge offers the Challenger Hellcat with two different key fobs. Incredibly, the black fob enables a ‘conservative’ power setting of 500 horsepower (372kW), while the red fob liberates all 707 ponies (527kW). Use the red fob when driving yourself and the black fob for valet parking attendants.

With the right foot flat to the boards, the Hellcat’s engine is so emphatic that your hands instinctively clutch the steering wheel tight. The supercharger chimes in early, boosting engine speed and helping the V8 arrive at its mountainous peak torque from 4800rpm.

All accompanied by a roar from the exhausts which is equally fearsome. It sounds as though a hurricane is brewing, the guttural tones strengthening at about 4000rpm before a arriving at a bark-like climax punctuated by a cacophony of snarls and bangs.

Then you just grab the next gear in the eight-speed auto and do it all again.

Any comparison with HSV’s LSA-powered GTS sees the Aussie product chewed up and spat out by the Hellcat. Where the Holden-based sedan swells in power, gradually hitting its straps at 4000rpm before tapering off before redline, the Dodge slams out its complement of horses instantly and can raise the driver’s heartrate every time he/she floors the accelerator.

In fact the Hellcat’s explosive reserves perfectly illustrate the benefits of large capacity engines: large dollops of torque offering an effortless and useable torque curve in normal daily driving.

With the supercharger chiming in from low revs, there is a real nonchalance to the Hellcat’s power delivery, helped in part by a soft throttle calibration and smooth shifting eight-speed transmission which will happily help the car pretend it is fuel efficient. On our extensive 2500km of largely highway driving, the digital cluster read as low as 12.5L/100km.

On the other side of the ledger, it is possible to drain the Hellcat’s 60-litre fuel tank in 13 minutes. Incredible.

No one-trick pony
The combination of massive power, faithful six-piston Brembo brakes and three-mode Bilsten dampers endows the Hellcat with a surprising degree of agility and balance. Though let’s be clear, this is no Ferrari 488.

Some will be surprised to hear the Hellcat’s 5.01-metre long and 1.9-metre wide proportions feel well controlled through long, fast corners, the muscular body leaning to a point and then firming up as you roll through the apex. You’re very much aware of the car’s overwhelming heft, but there’s rock solid stability on offer if you work with the foundations. However, when pushed beyond the limit, the repercussions could be severe.
Accurate steering is another surprising highlight. While lightly-weighted (arguably a little too light for some) it telegraphs front wheel movements smoothly and progressively. Feedback is likewise strong, making it easy to place the Hellcat through tighter, hairpin corners.

Of course, every shred of composure can be overcome if you’re too ham-fisted with the go-fast pedal. Wiggle your big toe enough and the Challenger will break out into an unwieldy, tyre frying beast which can shred tyres (and dollars) at will.

Fortunately Dodge was diligent in tuning the Hellcat’s three-mode stability control suite. The parameters are nicely calibrated, allowing the system to make benign, progressive interventions which don’t overly impede progress.

Loosen the reins and wind up the tempo, and the Dodge will happily play the part of tyre wrecker as the rear end makes progressive and controllable movements which are easy to catch.

The Hellcat’s overarching ‘tourer’ brief rings true in its overall ride and comfort. Aside from some low speed brittleness – particularly over road joins and cat’s eyes – the suspension shows good compliance.

Similarly impressive are the Hellcat’s noise and vibration levels, which kept things nicely suppressed during our long hours in its broad, accommodating front seats.

No budget muscle car
Muscle cars, by their very definition, are all about the engine.

Thankfully, for its $85,210 ($US63,590) price tag, the Hellcat offers a little bit more than that.

The cabin, by US standards especially, is great. Soft touch materials adorn the contact points, the 8.0-inch colour touchscreen presents cleanly, with crisp navigation graphics and an easy to use interface, including Apple CarPlay. The matching digital instrument cluster is also full of useful (digital speedo) and not so useful information (lateral G-force, reaction times etc.)

Withstanding those points, there are plenty of ‘Dodgisms’ about the Hellcat: the interior door handles are low-set (located about 15cm from the door sill), the foot-operated park brake is clunky and small side mirrors restrict the rearward outlook.

Two centre console cupholders and bottle holders in each door ensure slurping capacity commensurate with the American lifestyle. The buttons and switchgear are a little plastic-fantastic, but they align with the muscle car vibe of the Challenger…which is what it’s all about.

Spatially, there are some obvious omissions. The fact rear leg space is almost untenable for a car this size is a little disappointing, especially considering there are rear air vents and soft, comfortable seats on offer.

Dodge makes some consolation by offering a cavernous boot which on our trip easily accounted for one large suitcase and three smaller clones.

Is there a case for the Challenger in Australia?
Make no mistake: the Dodge Challenger Hellcat would make a convincing case in Australian showrooms. Officially, though, our relatively small demand would never warrant the expense and resources required to produce a factory right-hand drive version.

Our closest hope would be Dodge green-lighting right-hand production from the beginning of the next-generation model. Like Ford did with the Mustang.

V8 fans should take consolation in the impending arrival of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

Different name, same engine. Unravelling it to the redline for the first time will be an experience you’ll never forget.

2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat:
Price: N/A
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged-petrol V8
Output: 527kW/880Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual/Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: N/A (ADR Combined)
CO2: N/A (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A