The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the third Fiat Chrysler vehicle to have the unhinged supercharged V-8 stuffed under its hood, and it’s the quiet Hellcat next door. Not literally, of course—have you heard a blown Hemi V-8 at full whack?—but with standard all-wheel drive mitigating the engine’s tire-spinning proclivities, plus its under-the-radar looks, the Trackhawk can at least pass for an upstanding citizen. With more traction than any Hellcat yet, the Trackhawk has quite a lot of poke despite its pork—the engine adds 259 pounds over the already heavy 475-hp Grand Cherokee SRT. Nonetheless, Jeep claims it can reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. That time is on par with the nearly 1000-pounds-lighter, automatic-equipped Dodge Hellcats we’ve tested. (The quickest was the Charger, which reached 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.) Per Jeep, the quarter-mile is expected to fly by in 11.6 seconds (at 116 mph!), and, with no electronic governor, the Trackhawk is said to surrender to atmospheric resistance at 180 mph.
The MU-X may look and feel a bit more basic than the Everest or Fortuner, but its tough Isuzu truck underpinnings is this SUV’s secret weapon. Isuzu also builds big commercial engines, designed to be reliable and robust, and that DNA is this engine.
Pros Great new engine Capable off-roader Decent third row
Cons Cabin is starting to age Boot is smaller than some rivals No advanced safety equipment
Like the D-MAX ute on which it's based, the evolution of Isuzu UTE's MU-X seven-seat SUV has remained relatively slow, its latest update headlined by extra torque from its 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (now 130kW and 430Nm, up from 380Nm) and a new six-speed automatic transmission (previously five).
Pros Rugged and practical Very comfy ride Drop-down rear video unit
Cons Lacking some new safety tech Turbo lag from a standing start Rather basic cab trim
