Dodge brings an all-V8 2027 Durango to the State Fair

Dodge had the last Stellantis press conference of the morning at the State Fair of Texas media day. It was indoors at 10:45, right after Chrysler and right before lunch. They talked a little about the Charger Scat Pack, but the Durango got most of the time, and the one on stage was a Durango R/T 392. The first thing I wrote in my notes was “It’s blue!” It was a bright blue with black wheels and red Brembo calipers.

Dodge’s pitch for the Durango came down to three words: power, capability and personalization. One line stuck with me. They said the Durango doesn’t apologize about being a Power-UV.

That’s always been my favorite thing about it. In 2017 I wrote that the Durango was my favorite three-row SUV on the market because it was a muscle car for the family man. I’m still a muscle car loving family man, and I’m still a three-row SUV dad.

Every Durango is a V8 now

The big message for 2027: every Durango is a V8. There’s no V6 Durango anymore. Every trim gets a HEMI and standard AWD, and Dodge says it’s the only V8 lineup in the segment.

The GT HEMI starts things off with the 5.7-liter HEMI, rated at 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Dodge says it runs 0-60 in 6.2 seconds and calls it the most affordable AWD V8 in the industry. It tows 7,200 pounds standard, or 8,700 with the Tow ‘n Go package. That 5.7 is an old friend. It was the R/T engine when I spent my first full week in a Durango back in 2016, and now it’s where the lineup starts.

At the top is the SRT Hellcat, with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI making 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft. Dodge says it does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and calls it the most powerful gas SUV ever. I got my first drive in the Durango SRT Hellcat when it was new for the 2021 model year.

The R/T 392 is the one I’d look at

The R/T 392 sits in the middle of the lineup and gets the 6.4-liter HEMI, rated at 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. Dodge says that’s 32 percent more horsepower and 21 percent more torque than the old 5.7 R/T, and the 0-60 time drops from 6.2 seconds to 4.4. Dodge lists an NHRA-certified 12.9-second quarter mile and claims the most horsepower per dollar of any gas SUV. That’s the 6.4 I had in the 2019 Durango SRT, back when the SRT was the top Durango. Now it’s in the R/T.

Standard equipment includes adaptive damping, an electronic limited-slip differential, a high-performance exhaust and red Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers up front. Towing is rated at 8,700 pounds, which Dodge says is best in class. Drive modes include Track, and you also get Launch Control and the SRT performance pages. The family part is covered too, since seven-passenger seating is standard.

New for 2027, the R/T 392 gets a Plus model with Nappa leather, heated first- and second-row seats, ventilated front seats and a power sunroof. The Premium adds a Harman Kardon 19-speaker system, two-piece front Brembo rotors and optional yellow calipers. There’s also a new Blacktop Redline package with optional Redline stripes, 20-by-10-inch forged wheels and Nappa and suede seats. Heads up for big families: that package drops you to six seats.

The Hellcat comes standard with five seats, and you need the Jailbreak package to get six or seven, so a family like mine would have to go that route.

Every 2027 Durango also gets a security update that Dodge says makes it harder to pair an unauthorized key or copy a key fob. I’m glad to see that one.

The personalization part

The 2027 Durango comes in nine colors: After Dark, Redeye, B5 Blue, Destroyer Grey, Green Machine, Night Moves, Pitch Black, Red Oxide and White Knuckle. Pitch Black is new for 2027. Redeye came over from the Charger in August, and After Dark is a deep metallic blue Dodge added in September. Each of those two is a $595 option. With After Dark added, Dodge says the Hellcat Jailbreak now has more than 16 million possible build combinations. GT HEMI buyers can also add the new Brass Monkey package, with 20-inch Brass Monkey wheels and black 345 fender badges with brass accents. And Dodge says a new Color Jailbreak program is on the way that will open up custom factory paint beyond the standard colors to more buyers, at a price aimed at regular enthusiasts. Dodge hasn’t put a price on it yet.

A little Charger, in Purple Haze

Dodge also had a Charger at the fair in Purple Haze. It’s a limited-run color for the 2027 model year only, marking 60 years since the Charger first came out in 1966. It’s available across the whole 2027 Charger lineup for $795. It’s a high-gloss purple that turns deeper in the shade. Purple Haze isn’t offered on the Durango.

On stage, they talked a little about the Charger Scat Pack, with the 550-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo SIXPACK H.O. engine. Every Charger comes with AWD, and you can get it as a two-door or a four-door. I spent a week in a 2026 Charger Scat Pack Plus this summer, and you can read my review or watch the video. I’ve always liked the V8 Chargers I’ve reviewed, so I was skeptical of a six-cylinder Charger. I came away impressed and called it a grown-up GT. It felt composed on the highway, averaged 20 mpg in mixed driving and still had all 550 horsepower when I wanted it. It’s not the raw V8 of the past, but it keeps the Scat Pack attitude.

I drove one the next day

Everything I heard at the fair came in handy the very next day. At the Texas Truck Rodeo at Eagles Canyon Raceway, my first drive after lunch was a 2026 Durango R/T 392 Launch Edition, the model that made the 392 standard on the R/T for the first time. Mine was bright blue too, with black stripes and black wheels, and it was optioned up to $65,425 as tested. The EPA rates it at 13 mpg city, 19 highway and 15 combined. My time in it was on-road only, and I grabbed photos but no video.

Obviously, the 392 is super strong and super powerful. A lot of the track pages and Track mode stuff is really cool in there. As a dad who drives three-row SUVs, I can tell you this is one of those vehicles you really want. It touches a spot. Good vehicle all around.

That lines up with what I’ve said about the Durango for years. My family of six fit in a 2017 R/T just fine, and back in 2016 the kids fit better in its third row than in an Explorer. I said back then that the R/T is where it’s at. With the 392 in it now, that’s even more true.

Pricing

The 2027 Durango GT HEMI starts at $43,675. The R/T 392 starts at $50,995, the R/T 392 Plus at $54,595 and the R/T 392 Premium at $57,595. The SRT Hellcat starts at $80,495, and the Jailbreak package adds $995 before any options you pick. Those prices don’t include tax, title and fees. Orders are open now.

The Texas Auto Show runs alongside the fair through Sunday, Oct. 18 at Fair Park in Dallas, with the buildings open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. This is the fourth piece from Stellantis media day. Check out our full State Fair game plan, our look at what Ram brought and Jeep’s electric Recon and indoor off-road course. Our look at Chrysler’s refreshed 2027 Pacifica is coming soon.