In an era when the label “SUV” often denotes an all-too-civilized family hauler reminiscent of a previous generation’s station wagons, the Dodge Durango stands out as a robust exception. It combines the brawn of an old-school SUV with the performance and attitude of a muscle car. If you’re planning to shop at a Dodge dealer near you for a 2024 Durango, be prepared for a bit of a throwback shopping experience––and we mean that in a good way.
While the current Durango offers all the technology and creature comforts that you’d expect from today’s SUVs, it projects an aura straight out of the long-ago days when horsepower ruled. Speaking of which, 2024 will be the last year for HEMI-powered Durangos, so Dodge has a special “Last Call” edition for us horsepower junkies, along with the SRT and Hellcat trim levels.
So, what exactly is the Durango? While you could call it a three-row crossover, Dodge prefers to present a more aggressive aura. Of all the SUVs on the market today, its classmates would probably vote it “Most Likely to Wear Racing Stripes” (and Dodge will, in fact, sell you optional racing stripes). You know what you’re getting when you shop for the Durango, and if that’s the kind of SUV you want, then this guide was written for you.
A Racer’s Heart
The Durango’s attitude flows from under its hood, where even its base model Pentastar V6 could beat most challengers at the stoplight with its 295 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. This engine can bring the big Dodge to 60 mph in a respectable 7.4 seconds. Even more importantly for an SUV, this engine is ready to work as well as play. It can tow up to 6,200 lbs, which is about the weight of a decent fishing boat and its trailer. It accomplishes all this while achieving a 26 MPG on the highway fuel economy rating.
Step up to the first of three available HEMI V8 engines, and you’ll get a 5.7-liter bruiser that cranks out 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. Now we’re getting into muscle car numbers with a 6.2-second 0-60 mph time. Yet it also tows 7,400 lbs thanks to that big torque number. This is a thoroughly modern muscle car (or muscle SUV) drivetrain with variable valve timing and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The next engine in the lineup is the 6.4-liter HEMI V8, which was born for the track with 475 hp and 470 ft-lb of torque. You had better wear a neck brace when you stomp on the gas in this model because its 4.4-second 0-60 mph time is likely to induce whiplash. Yet for all that, the 6.4-liter still has the grunt and the gearing to pull 8,700 lbs. Try doing that in some mild-mannered SUV that’s based on a family sedan!
But there’s yet another HEMI in the lineup for those who want true king-of-the-hill performance: the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. This is the monster that lies under the hood of the Durango’s SRT Hellcat models, and it drives the big Dodge to 60 mph in only 3.5 seconds. That’s a positively ludicrous 0-60 mph number for a three-row SUV, but we did say right at the outset that the Durango is an old-school bruiser. Heck, even most of the famous muscle cars of yore would have been left in a cloud of dust illuminated by the glow of the Durango’s taillights. This engine can also tow 8,700 lbs, so those old-school cars might have been looking at its trailer’s taillights instead.
Trim Levels from Awesome to Downright Unreal
The Durango offers something for everyone with no fewer than fifteen trim levels. And that’s before we even consider the Last Call model, which we’ll get to later.
At a starting price of $39,670, the Durango SXT anchors the lower end of the lineup. It has the Durango’s muscular and imposing body lines, but disguises itself like Clark Kent behind civilized-looking chrome around the grill and some other trim elements. Rear-wheel drive is standard, while AWD is optional. It rides on standard 18-inch painted aluminum wheels with all-season tires, but 20-inch “Black Noise” aluminum wheels are available. The Pentastar V6 sits under the hood.
At $41,265, you’ll step up to the Durango SXT Plus, which provides mostly the same equipment as the SXT. The big differences are a power sunroof and a couple of driver assist features, including Adaptive Cruise Control and a Full Speed Forward Collision Warning.
For $41,420, you can slip behind the wheel of a Durango GT. This one drops the veneer of chromed civility with a black grille and trim. Beneath the hood, it’s the same as the SXT and SXT Plus, and like those trims, AWD is optional. Larger 20-inch Fine Silver wheels come standard, with the 20-inch Black Noise wheels available. A power liftgate and heated seats are standard.
For $45,420, the Durango GT Plus gives you a sunroof, along with standard leather-trimmed seating. Adaptive Cruise Control and a Full Speed Forward Collision Warning are standard. In most other respects, the GT Plus is similar to the GT.
At $49,420, the Durango GT Premium is the top of the GT range. Pretty much every interior option comes standard in this trim, including a nine-speaker Alpine sound system with a subwoofer (the other GT trims get a six-speaker system without a subwoofer). If you prefer luxury and are satisfied with the considerable power of the V6, this is the trim for you.
The $51,670 Durango Citadel is the final model to come standard with the Pentastar V6, although the HEMI is available as an option. Its focus is on checking nearly every box on the options list, offering 20-inch Satin Carbon aluminum wheels. A sunroof is standard, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon speaker system with a subwoofer is optional.
At $51,270, the Durango R/T is the first HEMI-powered trim in the range. It comes with the 5.7-liter V8 and standard rear-wheel-drive, with AWD optional. Most of the high-end interior features also come standard, minus the sunroof and leather seating.
The $54,270 Durango R/T Plus is mechanically identical to the regular R/T and offers a few extra standard features like Adaptive Cruise Control and the collision warning feature. It also restores the leather seating and adds a heated flat-bottom steering wheel.
At $57,770, the Durango R/T Premium outdoes the R/T Plus with extra premium features like the Harman Kardon sound system. It also boasts a hand-wrapped instrument panel and sporty carbon fiber accents.
SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat
Now, we get into the SRT 392 lineup, powered by the 6.4-liter HEMI V8. All SRT 392 trims come with standard AWD to help tame the power of this engine. Like the Durango GT and R/T lines, the SRT 392 comes in three trim levels, each with an increasing level of standard features:
- Durango SRT 392 ($74,995): blacked-out trim, standard 20-inch Hyper Black aluminum wheels, Bilstein dampers, and Brembo brakes.
- Durango SRT 392 Plus ($80,995): adds a sunroof, leather seats, and a few other standard features
- Durango SRT 392 Premium ($86,200): adds the Harman Kardon sound system, carbon fiber accents, and red seat belts.
Finally, we get to the SRT Hellcat range, which again consists of regular, Plus, and Premium versions ranging from $95,995 to $107,200. Each of these trims offers an increasing level of standard equipment that mirrors the Durango SRT 392 trim range, but what’s truly relevant about these options is the engine, which is the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8. Like the SRT 392 trims, these come only in AWD.
ALcHEMI Last Call Edition
As we mentioned previously, 2024 is the last year for the famed HEMI V8 engines in the Durango, which will likely be replaced by Dodge’s new Hurricane twin-turbo I-6 for the 2025 model year. Dodge is giving the HEMI Durango one last hurrah, called the Durango SRT 392 ALcHEMI Last Call Edition. It will be available in four special edition exterior colors and highlighted with black and yellow “392” badges and bright yellow Brembo brakes. The interior will feature yellow and silver stitching and carbon fiber accents.
Times Are A-Changin’
The HEMI-powered 2024 Durangos are the last of their kind. This is your last chance to get an SUV (or actually any new vehicle) that will let you give a resounding “Yes!” to the old question, “That thing got a HEMI?” These aren’t just the last HEMI Durangos but the last HEMIs, period. It’s fitting that Dodge is the last of the Stellantis brands to lower the banner for the storied HEMI engine since Dodge was always the performance division of the old Chrysler Motors. If you’re interested in old-school muscle, the Durango is the SUV of choice for you.
