Approaching 80 years ago, the muscle car concept emerged with vehicles like the long-gone Oldsmobile 88, Chrysler Saratoga and Lincoln Capri. In the mid-1960s, the Pontiac GTO solidified the segment whose exact definition is still debated.
Vintage car enthusiasts sometimes agree on the succinct definition posted on a muscle car website: “an intermediate-sized, high-performance oriented model, powered by a large V8 engine, at an affordable price.”
What’s to make then of the 2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak? It’s among the street-legal SUVs with far more power than necessary but embraced without reservation. It’s a high-performance beast full of automotive testosterone, and it won’t sit still.
Priced at its top end just shy of $100,000, it doesn’t fit the affordable muscle car category. It also far surpasses the enduring simple, handsome attraction of muscle cars. The Jailbreak trim offers extreme customization. It’s available with eight paint finishes, six options of wheels and badges, five seat colors and four brake-caliper colors.
Announced last August in a two-car new muscle vehicle offering, the Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak is a three-row muscle SUV featuring a 710-horsepower Hemi V-8 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It accelerates from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds.
The full range of engines also includes the 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, 360-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 and 475-horsepower 6.4-liter V8.
The starting MSRPs range from $38,995 for a rear-wheel-drive GT to $81,585 for the SRT. As reviewed, the latter has 13 options, “Machine Green” exterior paint ($595) to 20-inch aluminum wheels (1,295) to top-line sepia seats ($2,995). The total price is $96,920, a tally far outside the original idea of muscle cars.
According to the manufacturer, the upscale Jailbreak provides “more than 6 million potential combinations for customization through multiple wheel choices, interior seat colors, seat belt colors, and exterior colors and designs.” Seating is also customizable for five, six or seven passengers.
The Durango was introduced in 1998, and the truck-like SUV hasn’t been redesigned since the start of its third generation in 2011. The Hellcat trim debuted in 2015. Throughout its lineup, the Durango balances strengths and weaknesses.
Comfort, spaciousness and overall strength provide the Durango’s appeal. With all seats upright, occupants ride in well-designed, top-quality seats with multiple adjustments. With second and third-row seating folded, there’s 85.1-cubic feet of cargo space. It’s a strong number for the midsize SUV segment. The SUV also has a generous supply of small storage areas and cupholders.
The two-tone cabin is straightforward and intuitive. The shifter rests at an angle for more efficient engagement. Ingress and egress, including third-row seating, are easy.
Durango enthusiasts get best-in-class towing capacities, with 6,200 pounds standard and 8,700 pounds in V8 configurations with towing packages like the reviewed Hellcat Jailbreak. Many of the Durango’s rivals have 5,000-pound towing capacities.
Dodge knows what it has and is, as expected, proud of it.
“The Dodge Durango stands alone as the only three-row muscle SUV on the market, delivering unmatched performance, best-in-class towing and available HEMI V-8 power — the perfect supercharged sleigh to help Santa on his mission,” Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO, said when the vehicle became available in all states.
The Hellcat has one substantial fault. With its powerful engine, it rapidly consumes gas, averaging 12 miles per gallon in city driving, 17 mpg on the highway. The poor showing likely doesn’t faze Durango fanciers.
Of more interest to would-be buyers is the vehicle’s presence. The SUV has a powerful, sustained growl. It has no time for finesse. At stop signs and stop lights, it wants to get back to work — aggressively.
James Raia is a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento. He contributes business, lifestyle, sports and travel articles to several print and online publications. Email: james@jamesraia.com.
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