Covert CDJR Bee Cave · Austin, Texas

2027 DODGE DURANGO GOES ALL-HEMI FOR AUSTIN FAMILIES

Every 2027 Durango left the V6 behind. Here is what that trade actually buys a family.

Covert CDJR Bee Cave · Austin, Texas · Published 24 August 2026

Dodge did something for 2027 that almost every other three-row SUV is running away from. The V6 is gone from the Durango entirely, and every single trim now leaves the factory with a HEMI V8 under the hood. If you have been cross-shopping three-row SUVs around Austin and mentally filed the Durango next to a Pilot or a Telluride, that comparison no longer holds.

Below is what the all-HEMI lineup changes for a family, what it costs, what you give up, and which trim makes sense depending on whether you are hauling three kids to Lake Travis or chasing a quarter-mile time.

The Lineup

THE 2027 LINEUP IS REFRESHINGLY SIMPLE

Three trims. Three V8s. All-wheel drive across the board. That is the whole 2027 Durango story in one line, and after years of trim charts that needed a decoder ring, it is a genuine relief to explain.

• GT HEMI AWD: 5.7L HEMI V8, 360 horsepower, 390 lb-ft of torque
• R/T 392 AWD: 6.4L HEMI V8, 475 horsepower, 470 lb-ft of torque
• SRT Hellcat AWD: 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8, 710 horsepower, 645 lb-ft of torque

New for this model year, Dodge also added the Brass Monkey package on the GT HEMI, an R/T 392 Plus trim that slots above the standard R/T, and a Blacktop Redline appearance package. Those are trim-and-appearance moves, not engine changes. The engine lineup is the headline.

The Numbers

TRIM, ENGINE AND PRICE AT A GLANCE

Starting prices shown before destination charge, tax, title and license.

The Power

WHAT MORE STANDARD POWER ACTUALLY BUYS YOU

Horsepower numbers look like bragging rights on paper. In daily Austin driving, torque is the part you feel, and 390 lb-ft in the base GT HEMI is a lot for a family SUV. Merging onto MoPac at rush hour stops being a negotiation. Getting up the grades on US-290 west of Dripping Springs with seven people and a week of camping gear does not require flooring it and hoping.

There is a durability argument too, and it is the one our service advisors make more often than the fun one. A naturally aspirated 5.7L pulling a loaded three-row SUV up a Hill Country incline is doing far less work, proportionally, than a small turbocharged four doing the same job at full boost in August heat. That matters in Texas, where “loaded and hot” describes about five months of the year.

The tradeoff nobody should pretend does not exist

Big V8s drink fuel. Dodge has not published final EPA figures we would stand behind quoting, and we are not going to invent a number for you. What we can tell you honestly is this: none of the three 2027 Durango trims will match a V6 crossover or a hybrid three-row at the pump, and dropping the V6 means there is no longer an economy-minded version of this vehicle to fall back on. The 5.7L is the thriftiest of the three by a comfortable margin. The 392 asks for more. The Hellcat asks for considerably more than that, especially if you drive it the way it wants to be driven.

Budget accordingly. If your commute is Georgetown to downtown five days a week, run the math on fuel before you fall in love with the exhaust note. If you are a Bee Cave or Lakeway family covering 9,000 miles a year with a boat behind you on weekends, that math looks very different and usually lands in the Durango’s favor.

Towing

TOWING: 8,700 POUNDS, PROPERLY EQUIPPED

Properly equipped with the Tow n Go package, the 2027 Durango tows up to 8,700 pounds. That figure is why a lot of people around Lake Travis end up here instead of at a crossover store. Most unibody three-row SUVs top out around 5,000 pounds, which is fine for a small utility trailer and not fine for a 24-foot boat with a tandem-axle trailer.

Some real-world context on what 8,700 pounds covers:

• A mid-size travel trailer for weekends at Inks Lake or Pedernales Falls
• A wakeboard boat plus the trailer, fuel and gear you actually load onto it
• Two-horse bumper-pull rigs common around Spicewood and Dripping Springs
• A car hauler with a track toy on it, which is a more common ask here than you would guess

One honest caveat: max tow ratings assume the right equipment and a light payload. Every passenger, cooler and duffel bag in the cabin counts against your capacity. Bring us the trailer’s actual loaded weight and we will tell you straight whether a Durango handles it or whether you want to be looking at a Ram instead.

The Third Row

SEVEN SEATS, AND HOW THE THIRD ROW REALLY WORKS

Durango seats up to seven depending on how the second row is configured. Bench in the middle gets you to seven. Captain’s chairs drop you to six but make the walk-through to the third row genuinely usable, which parents of small kids tend to value more than the extra seatbelt.

Be realistic about that third row. It is a proper third row for kids and for adults on shorter trips, and it folds flat when you need the cargo floor. It is not a Grand Wagoneer back there. Families who put teenagers in row three for a drive to New Braunfels every weekend should sit back there themselves before signing anything. Ninety seconds in that seat answers the question better than any spec sheet.

The Pick

SO WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY BUY?

The family answer: GT HEMI

For most families walking into our store on Sweetwater Village Drive, the GT HEMI is the right call and it is not close. You get the V8 character, 360 horsepower, all-wheel drive, the full seven-seat layout and access to the tow equipment, at the lowest entry point in the lineup. Add Tow n Go if you pull anything. The Brass Monkey package is worth a look purely on how it makes the truck look, and it costs a fraction of stepping up a trim.

The enthusiast answer: R/T 392

Step up to the 6.4L and you are buying 115 more horsepower and a completely different personality for roughly seven grand. Worth it? If you genuinely enjoy driving and the Durango is replacing something sporty you gave up when the kids arrived, yes. The new R/T 392 Plus adds equipment for buyers who want the muscle without going all the way to Hellcat money. If you are buying the 392 to tow slightly better, save the money. The 5.7L handles the trailer fine.

The Hellcat answer: you already know

Nobody talks themselves into a 710-horsepower SUV. At $80,495 to start, the SRT Hellcat is a want, not a solve, and buyers who want one arrive knowing exactly what it is. We are not going to talk you out of it either. It is the most absurd school-run vehicle ever built and it is glorious.

Budget For This

BUDGET FOR THE PARTS PEOPLE FORGET

A window sticker is not your out-the-door number in Texas. A few things worth planning for:

• Texas sales tax of 6.25% on the purchase price. On a GT HEMI that is real money, so build it into your payment conversation early.
• Destination charge, title and license on top of MSRP.
• Emissions inspection. Texas dropped the annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles as of January 1, 2025, but Travis County is still one of the 17 counties requiring emissions testing. If you live in Hays County, that one does not apply to you.
• Coverage. Every new Durango comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic limited warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty. Mopar FlexCare is available in several tiers if you want protection past that.

Leasing works differently here than most people expect. In Texas, the leasing company pays tax up front on the vehicle’s purchase price, and your monthly lease payments are not separately taxed. Worth understanding before you compare a lease quote from another state’s website.

The Straight Answer

WHAT WE WOULD TELL YOU IF YOU CALLED

Come drive a GT HEMI first, even if you think you want the 392. Most people who do that walk away realizing the 5.7L is plenty of engine for what their life actually looks like, and the money saved goes toward Tow n Go or a better second-row setup. Bring the car seats. Bring the kids. Put them in row three and drive it up RM 2244 the way you would on a normal Tuesday.

Our sales team is here Monday through Saturday, 9am to 7pm, at 16501 Sweetwater Village Drive in Austin, right off Bee Cave Road. Call (512) 900-6192 and ask what is on the ground before you drive over, especially if you have a specific color or package in mind. And when it comes time for oil changes, the Mopar Express Lane keeps a V8 service visit shorter than you are expecting.

Common Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is there any V6 Durango left for 2027?

No. Dodge dropped the V6 entirely for 2027. Every 2027 Durango, from the GT HEMI up to the SRT Hellcat, comes with a HEMI V8 and all-wheel drive.

How much can a 2027 Durango tow?

Up to 8,700 pounds when properly equipped with the Tow n Go package. Your real-world capacity depends on how many people and how much gear you are carrying, so bring us your trailer weight and we will work through it with you.

Does the Durango seat seven?

It seats up to seven with a second-row bench. Choosing second-row captain’s chairs brings you to six seats but makes third-row access much easier for kids climbing in and out.

Which trim is best for a family that tows?

The GT HEMI with Tow n Go. It reaches the same 8,700-pound rating as the pricier trims and starts at $43,675 before destination, which leaves room in the budget for equipment you will actually use.

DRIVE A 2027 DURANGO GT HEMI BEFORE YOU DECIDE

Covert CDJR Bee Cave, 16501 Sweetwater Vlg Dr Building 3, Austin, TX 78738. Sales (512) 900-6192, open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 7pm, closed Sunday. Bring the car seats and put someone in row three. Ninety seconds back there tells you more than any spec sheet.

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Written by the sales team at Covert CDJR Bee Cave, Austin, Texas. We sell and service the full Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram lineup and drive these roads ourselves. Questions about Durango trims, towing or the third row: (512) 900-6192.

Prices exclude destination, taxes, title, registration and dealer fees, and are subject to change. Horsepower, torque, towing and payload figures are manufacturer specifications for the model year at the time of writing and may change; confirm equipment on the window sticker of the specific vehicle. Fuel economy figures, where cited, are EPA estimates for comparison only and your results vary with speed, temperature, terrain and load. This article is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm details that affect your money with a tax professional or our finance office.