The Godfather SUVs: 6 Go-Faster Pre-SRT Haulers That Paved The Way for 700-HP Trucks

A new roundup looks at how “performance SUV” credibility took shape long before modern 700-hp trucks became common. The piece highlights six American V8-powered SUVs released on or before 2000, tracing a trend that culminated in today’s fast, practical machines. It starts by referencing the 2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat as a modern benchmark, noting it can reach 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds with more than 700 horsepower—power that would have seemed supercar-level two decades ago. From there, it moves back roughly 25 years, beginning with the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited, a one-year-only variant built as a sendoff for the first generation, powered by an enlarged 5.9-liter naturally aspirated V8.