Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 216
Carsales Staff10 Apr 2017
NEWS

Tesla Model X is no rival, says Jeep

Jeep dismisses Tesla's quickest Model X in "world's quickest SUV" claim for Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

When Jeep revealed its quickest and most powerful SUV yesterday, it claimed the brawny new Grand Cherokee Trackhawk would be "the quickest and most powerful production SUV on the planet".

Indeed, with the same stonking 527kW/874Nm 6.2-litre supercharged V8 as Dodge's Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat muscle cars, Jeep says the new Grand Cherokee flagship hauls itself to 100km/h in an eye-watering 3.6 seconds.

That's quick enough for the full-size Trackhawk SUV, which is also claimed to make quarter-mile (400m) passes in just 11.6 seconds at 186km/h and reach a 290km/h top speed, to out-pace Europe's most potent luxury SUVs.

They include Porsche’s 419kW/800Nm twin-turbo 4.8-litre V8-powered Cayenne Turbo S and Bentley's 449kW/900Nm twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12-powered Bentayga, both of which brandish 4.1sec 0-100km/h claims.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 214

Incidentally, at 290km/h, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk's top speed claim also shades the fastest Cayenne's 284km/h figure, although it falls short of the Bentayga W12's 301km/h top speed, which makes it the world's fastest SUV.

But the problem with Jeep's 'world's quickest SUV' claim is Tesla, whose Model X P100D with Ludicrous Mode is claimed to hit 100km/h in a mouth-frothing 3.1sec – half a second sooner than the Trackhawk.

So we asked Jeep for clarification, and it said the all-electric Model X, which generates a staggering 447kW and 1047Nm, is not a proper SUV like the Grand Cherokee, but a 'crossover'.

"The Tesla Model X is a different class vehicle," said Jeep in a statement to motoring.com.au.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 201 p9vg

"We use the 2016 Ward’s UV segmentation data that classifies Jeep Grand Cherokee as a Middle SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), while the Tesla X is a Middle Luxury CUV (Cross Utility Vehicle)."

However you classify it, the high-riding, all-wheel drive Model X P100D wagon is not only quicker than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, it comes with seven seats – two more than the Jeep, Porsche and Bentley.

Of course, if it comes to Australia (and we expect it will), the Trackhawk will most certainly be more affordable than the $240,000-plus Tesla, the $290K-plus Porsche and the $420K-plus Bentley, at around $100,000.

By the time the ballistic new Jeep arrives Down Under in early 2018 though, Porsche could well have upped the ante with its upcoming Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, which may well be quicker -- but perhaps not as quick as the Tesla.

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Written byCarsales Staff
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