The clouds of electrification may be on the horizon, but that’s not stopping Dodge from retiring its current lineup of Hemi/Hellcat V8s with a bang instead of a somber whimper. Dodge had plenty of announcements today, and while some of them will be covered here in the next few days, fans of the Durango Hellcat (especially those that missed the boat the first time around) will have one final opportunity to get the world’s most powerful SUV for their driveway with the brand confirming that it will be returning for 2023.
Durango Hellcat Demand And High Sales Swayed Dodge’s Hand
When the Durango Hellcat was first announced, Dodge had plans for a one-year-only production run. However, the rapidly growing demand in the broader SUV segment and internal customer demand convinced Dodge that the Durango Hellcat had enough demand for one more model year.
“The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat has generated a crazy amount of enthusiasm and demand since it was introduced in 2020 – we even extended its initial production run – so it seemed appropriate to bring back the most powerful SUV ever as part of our historic 2023 model-year Dodge lineup,” said Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. “Muscle enthusiasts also have families, and the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat can get those families where they want to go and has the ability to tow 8,700 pounds.”
That’s a commendable statement, but when you first look at the Hellcat, you might be wondering, where are the changes? The exterior styling looks largely like it did a few years ago, and on the surface, it appears that everything is the same, right down to the 710 hp produced by the 6.2 liter supercharged V8. But look under the skin, and things slowly begin to fall into place. In order to comply with tightening regulations, engineers had to make changes to the fuel tank, filters, and other elements of the fuel system to help squeeze a few extra mpg from the SUV but without ruining the engine’s horsepower to fun ratio. While pleasing Big Brother is never a fan favorite thing to do, at least Dodge managed to find a subtle way of doing it and still have fun in the process.
When Can I Buy One?
Dodge didn’t reveal pricing details for the 2023 Durango Hellcat but look for the final sticker to be a noticeable bump up from the $82,000 sticker that greeted buyers a year ago, and that’s before you add in any potential markups from ambitious dealerships looking to squeeze more profit out of this hot seller. Dodge confirmed that ordering will open up in September with the first models potentially rolling out to dealerships nationwide in 2023.
However, do not look for any further extensions (for now), with Dodge confirming that this is your last call to obtain one before it all ends in 2023. It’ll be a shame when that time comes because the Durango Hellcat will always be considered one of the most insane feats of engineering yet seen and its personality is truly one of a kind.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.