The current-gen Durango has been in the running for a decade now, and it was high time for the fourth-gen to make its debut. However, the company announced that it’ll just be a facelift. But, after seeing the 2021 Durango “facelift”, we are not complaining because this is even better than the next-gen stuff.

Apart from the exterior and cabin upgrades, Dodge has added an SRT trim to the Durango’s lineup that brings with it the Hellcat engine. The Durango equipped with this mill will make a mammoth 710 horses that will allow the heavy family hauler to sprint to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds! Well, this a fourth of July present from FCA that we’ll gleefully accept.

What’s New On The Outside?

There isn’t any other automaker on the planet that gets away with the muscular design language for every vehicle in its lineup. For some reason, it has worked well for Dodge. The new face doesn’t look drastically different, but it will bode well untill the next update.

With the introduction of the SRT trim, the Durango’s lineup now has six trims:

-* SXT

-* GT

-* Citadel

-* R/T

-* SRT 392

-* SRT Hellcat

In total, there are now three grilles offered on the Durango – a Granite Crystal-painted grille on the Citadel and SXT trims, a wide honeycomb grille finished in black for the GT, R/T, and SRT392, and a gloss black grille with larger openings for the SRT Hellcat. The slim LED headlights give it an aggressive look and the LED styling complements the appearance well. There is an air scoop on the hood to give it a sporty vibe, which it truly deserves especially with the new engine underneath it. Dodge has skipped the fog lights in favor of air vents to provide more air to cool the hot V-8 engine. Well, someone’s got the priorities right this time! The GT, R/T, SRT 392, and SRT Hellcat trims come with dual racing stripes running from the hood to the tailgate and can be had any of these styles:

-* Black with Red Accents

-* Bright Blue

-* Flame Red

-* Gunmetal Low Gloss

-* Sterling Silver

Dodge has offered six different 20-inch wheel designs on the SUV. These vary from silver to satin black to all-black colors. The SRT 392 and the SRT Hellcat comes wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires, but you can choose to opt for the Pirelli P Zero high-performance tires as well. The SRT trim wears the badges proudly on the fenders. They are finished in chrome, but you can have them in Neutral Grey Metallic finish with the optional Black Package.

The Racetrack LED taillights grace the derriere of the 2021 Durango. A redesigned and reshaped spoiler is also placed here to offer a downforce at higher speeds. Dodge noted that when traveling at 180 mph, it can provide a downforce of up to 400 pounds. All-in-all, the 2021 Durango looks its part and will be a hit amongst muscle car design fans.

What’s Different On The Inside?

The cabin looks outdated on the current model, so the 2021 redesigned layout is a pleasant welcome. The center console is now redesigned and feels more organized and spacious. A 10.1-inch touchscreen finds home on the stack of all the trims except for the SXT and GT, which feature an 8.4-inch touchscreen. Both the touchscreens run on FCA’s UConnect 5 infotainment system and support Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, as well as Amazon Alexa. Fortunately, Dodge hasn’t gone for a whole touch interface. The Durango still features physical buttons for the HVAC controls and the likes.

The automaker has also borrowed the Challenger and Charger’s flat-bottom steering wheel for the SRT twins. It comes with paddle shifters. The SRT logo on the Hellcat’s steering wheel is backlit in red, whereas the one of 392 is backlit in white. The GT and R/T trims can get this steering wheel installed as well. The 2021 Durango also features a new instrument cluster. The SRT Hellcat comes with red gauges, which is also the theme of the seats. The ventilated seats are wrapped in Nappa leather with suede accents and embroidered Hellcat logo.

There’s A New Engine Under The Hood!

Now, coming to the highlight of the 2021 update. The supercharger is a 2.4-liter unit paired with twin-screw rotors. It is capable of spinning at 14,600 rpm and delivers 11.6 psi of boost pressure. A cooling circuit for the charge-air coolers was integrated into the supercharger housing which comprises of a water pump, coolant reservoir, and a heat exchanger that helps keep the intake air temperatures below 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

The engine is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all the four wheels. With 710 horses under the hood, the 2021 Durango is now the most powerful factory-built SUV, narrowly beating the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s rating of 707 horses. The SUV takes just 11.5 seconds to the quarter-mile and is said to be 1.5 seconds faster than the Durango SRT 392 on a 2.1-mile road. This is validated and verified by the National Hot Rod Association.

Dodge has also equipped stuff like:

-* Race-inspired Brembo Brakes

-* Upgraded Suspension System that handles much better in Auto as well as Track modes

-* Launch Control and Launch Assist

-* Seven Drive Modes: Auto, Sport, Track, Snow, Tow, Eco, and Valet

-* Electric Power Steering with Selectable Steering Tuning and Three Driving Settings: Street, Sport and Track, and Custom

2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat specifications

What Other Engines Are Available?

Other than this supercharged engine, you can have the 2021 Durango in the three other flavors:

-* A 6.4-liter, V-8 that makes 475 horses and 470 pound-feet of torque (SRT 392 trim)

-* 5.7-liter, V-8 HEMI engine that produces 360 horses and 390 pound-feet of torque (Available on Citadel and R/T trims)

-* 3.6-liter, V-6 Pentastar mill that develops 295 ponies and 260 pound-feet of torque (SXT, GT, and Citadel trims)

The Towing Capacity Is Also Impressive

Dodge is also offering a Tow ‘N’ Go package on the R/T trim that allows you to tow up to 8,700 pounds. The package also includes:

-* Brembo brakes

-* Track, Sport, Snow, and Tow drive modes

-* SRT Exhaust, Wheels, and Tires

The towing capacity with the V-6 Pentastar is rated at 6,200 pounds, and with the 5.7-liter HEMI mill is rated at 7,400 pounds with the towing package.

How Much Does It Cost?

Dodge hasn’t revealed the pricing of the 2021 Durango, but this is how the 2020 Durango is priced:

-* SXT – $30,795

-* GT – $34,995

-* Citadel – $42,995

-* R/T – $44,395

-* SRT – $62,995

The base trim could see a hike of around $1,000, whereas the other trims could be pricier by a couple of thousand bucks. The SRT Hellcat should be in the ballpark of $80,000.

Final Thoughts

The 2021 Dodge Durango is open for booking and will arrive at the dealerships this fall. The SRT Hellcat, however, won’t arrive until early next year. Dodge has wreaked havoc with the introduction of the SRT Hellcat and put all its rivals at notice. Despite the high sticker price, the Durango SRT will sell in big numbers, given all the treatment the SUV receives in that trim. Also, this would make for a perfect family SUV on long trips and will cater to the adrenaline rush of enthusiasts when pushed hard off-the-line. With the upgraded suspension and drive modes, this should be a hoot-and-a-half to drive on tracks as well.