We love the Pentastar V6 engine that’s offered under the hood of a variety of FCA models, especially those wearing the Jeep badge.
Even so, this engine is becoming a dinosaur in both of its forms and it would serve FCA well to be able to increase the efficiency of an engine with six cylinders, make the displacement smaller, and potentially add turbocharging to the mix. This may mark the end of the Pentastar name and the V6 that it happens to be when it comes time for the drive on the road.
What Makes FCA Want to Change the Jeep Engines?
The most recent Jeep Wrangler is offered with both the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine and a turbocharged four-cylinder model for the power needed. The success of the four-liter engine is one that has brought to light that Jeep models could be offered with an engine that’s smaller and more powerful if turbocharging was added.
This should be a simple solution by adding a turbo to the Pentastar models, but the results of this experiment weren’t what Jeep wanted at all. This has led the FCA engineers toward working on a 3.0-liter straight six-cylinder engine that could replace both and save money for FCA in the long run.
The Use of eTorque may be Part of the Jeep Future
The new Ram 1500 is offered with the addition of a 48V mild-hybrid system called eTorque. This is a system that could find its way under the hood of Jeep models in the future while being attached to a new straight six-cylinder engine. This is simply one possibility, but it does appear the Pentastar engines that we’ve loved for several years will finally be gone from the Jeep models we drive in the future.
Where do we See the Current Four-Cylinder Engine?
The current 2.0-liter GME four-cylinder engine from FCA is used across several models. These models include the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, along with the Jeep Cherokee, Wrangler, and Grand Commander. These five models make it easy to see how an engine can be useful and tuned to meet a variety of needs when it’s time for the drive.
A new straight six-cylinder engine could be fitted to a large number of models as well to give you the power and drive you want when you get out on the road while enjoying a lighter build that brings more efficiency to the market.
Making the Engine More Compact
The last inline six-cylinder engine that FCA offered retired eleven years ago and it was a 4.0-liter model that was long. The fact that these engines are normally long is why FCA is putting the focus on using a compact model that will only reach a displacement of 3.0-liters. Once FCA has this new engine ready, we can wave goodbye to the Pentastar model that has been the engine we’ve known and trusted for many years when it was time to take a Jeep out on the trails.
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