Dodge unveils next generation of Durango SRT Hellcats with Jailbreak customization option
At a media preview hosted recently at Detroit's Conner Center — a former automotive plant fashioned into a storage and display center — Dodge unveiled the new Dodge Durango Hellcat and announced the 2026 model year would offer a Jailbreak trim level, meaning customers can mix and match paint jobs, interior features and more.
For the Durango, customers can choose from a variety of six custom wheels, four colors for brake calipers, six exterior colors, six badge colors, five stripe designs, five interior seat colors and four seat belt colors. Along with the customization package, Dodge is launching a new color for the 2026 model year: A sage green paint called "Green Machine."
All told, the customization opens the door for more than six million unique color combinations on Dodge Durango Hellcats. Dodge officials did not release pricing information.
"We challenge you to make a one-of-one from the more than 6 million combinations available," Dodge CEO Matt McAlear said at the preview.
For customers who want to guarantee they will have a unique Durango, Dodge is offering "select" buyers the opportunity to paint their car "nearly any color imaginable," outside of the six exterior colors offered through the Jailbreak program.
Stellantis, Dodge's parent company, in recent times limited the production of the Hellcat engine and removed it from two of its most popular body styles: the Challenger and Charger. In 2024, Dodge unveiled a completely redone version of the Charger, powered by an electric motor — not the high-powered V8s that many Dodge aficionados had grown to love. Soon, Dodge will unveil a six-cylinder internal combustion engine for the new Charger body style.
Other Stellantis brands previously restricted familiar V8 engines. In 2024, citing a push toward electrification and stricter emissions standards, Ram ended production of the HEMI V8 in its pickup trucks. In June, though, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis announced that the HEMI V8 would be returning to dealership floors for the 2026 model year, calling the decision to discontinue the engine a mistake.
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But the supercharged HEMI V8 Hellcat engine (though production has slowed) lives on in the Durango body style, boasting 710 horsepower and three rows of seating.
At the preview, McAlear cited statistics pointing to the popularity — and profitability — of the Durango. He said U.S. sales for the car jumped 51% in the second quarter of 2025 over the first quarter.
In response to a Free Press question about the future of the Durango Hellcat, McAlear said the brand is "committed to the Durango now and in the future. It is a staple."
McAlear said the Durango is one of the last V8s standing in a crowded SUV market. It's high performance satisfies adrenaline junkies, while the conveniences afforded by three rows of seating, towing and storage capabilities can appeal to family-oriented buyers.
The 2026 Durango Hellcat is available for order on Aug. 13, and vehicles are scheduled to startarriving at Dodge dealerships in late 2025.
The Jailbroken Hellcat will be produced at Stellantis' Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dodge unveils Jailbreak program for 2026 Durango SRT Hellcats
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