Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk | Spotted

The super SUV craze continues apace, but there's still nothing quite like the Hellcat-engined Jeep

It was November 2018 that Jeep confirmed it would sell the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in the UK, priced at £89,999. Never has recent history seemed so distant. Consider that since then Audi has created a Q8 that claimed a Nurburgring lap record, Porsche built a Cayenne that went faster, VW affixed an R badge to everything from T-Roc to Touareg, Ford made a Puma ST and Aston Martin launched its first (and certainly not its last) SUV. All in less time than exists between World Cups. Imagine where we'll be by 2024...

Perhaps by then an SUV will finally exist with more power than a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Because despite everybody from Mercedes to Maserati having a crack at the mega SUV, nothing has quite surpassed the 707hp Jeep just yet. And even when that's inevitably beaten, it seems unlikely any SUV will produce in excess of 710hp with any more charisma than the Hellcat-engined Jeep. The 4.0-litre engine used in the Cayenne, Q8, Bentayga and Urus is very good, but there's nothing to match the sound and fury of the supercharged 6.2 V8 - it really is a spectacular engine.

Be in no doubt, however. There will be no record breaking in this SUV, unless it's for most fuel used in the shortest amount of time. Despite the power, it wouldn't see which way the latest crop went down a challenging road or around a racetrack, because the chassis simply isn't up to snuff. In an attempt to contain hundreds more horsepower than a Cherokee normally deals with, Jeep stiffened the 2,433kg Trackhawk; so much so, in fact, that it made for almost unbearably firm ride. On an almost blemish free runway. Goodness only knows what it might be like on a typical road.

But you're still intrigued, right? That's the thing with all these Hellcat-engined cars. They're very big and often not that clever, yet it's impossible not to be drawn to cars with such astonishing engines. You wouldn't expect any of them to be great driver's cars, so why would the Jeep be any different? There'll be noise, speed and entertainment aplenty, almost certainly. Which sounds pretty good to be getting on with.

The Trackhawk has rarity on its side, too. Just 20 were allocated to the UK market; for some idea of just how few that is, the PH classifieds alone has 17 DBXes and 34 Uruses listed. It's no surprise then, to find just one of the UK cars for sale. Or five per cent of the allocation, to put it another way.

This one is a sea of black, broken up only by the seatbelts, brake calipers and, er, air filter. Yep, one Trackhawk owner decided that all the noise and power of a Hellcat-engined car wasn't enough and upgraded both the induction kit and exhaust. So don't say you weren't warned... But it looks as fresh as a 2019 car with fewer than 12,000 miles could be expected to, because the leather was that shiny and the metal that plasticky to start with. And let's be honest, anyone buying a Trackhawk for the interior accoutrements is rather missing the point. Sort of entirely.

However, cheaply appointed doesn't mean cheap to buy - this Trackhawk has actually appreciated from new. Which, even allowing for the rarity, not many expected it to do. But from that £90k asking price, this one is now for sale at £96,900. It's hard to think of any SUV that's done similar in the same time period, even if some most likely exist. Nobody needs reminding of the popularity, after all.

While it seems likely that the Trackhawk will depreciate eventually, what a way to travel in the meantime. As the only way to get access to that engine in right-hand drive, the Jeep's appeal really needs no further explanation. Just be sure to remember that considerable charm when it comes to fuelling it for the umpteenth time.

SPECIFICATION | JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE TRACKHAWK

Engine: 6,166cc supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 710@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 645@4,800rpm
MPG: 20.4 (claimed)
CO2: TBC
First registered: 2019
Recorded mileage: 11,820
Price new: £89,999
Price now: £96,900