When Fiat Chrysler announced retooling plans in April for the north plant at its Michigan-based Trenton Engine Complex, many wondered what was coming.
Sure the automaker said it was phasing out production of its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 in favor of a next generation four-cylinder engine, but would this be the long awaited Wrangler diesel? Or possibly some type of earlier than expected gasoline, electric hybrid?
Well, turns out Trenton North may actually be home to a Hurricane. A powerful turbo-charged Hurricane.
According to multiple industry reports, FCA plans to build a new 2.0-liter, 300 horsepower turbocharged engine which will be listed as an upgrade option when the new Wrangler JL launches next summer.
Automotive News first reported the story, saying the new aluminum block engine – code named Hurricane - will be a high-output, direct-injected inline-four with variable valve timing and a twin-scroll turbocharger.
The engine is expected to pair with FCA’s new eight-speed automatic transmission and would provide a significant fuel economy increase over the current Wrangler's six-cylinder/five-speed automatic combination.
FCA does make a less powerful 2.0-liter inline-four now that is used in the Dodge Dart, Jeep Compass and Patriot. That model produces about 160 horsepower.
No torque output was available yet for the Hurricane, but at first glance a high-powered four cylinder turbo certainly would not lend itself to rock crawling. Most likely, this engine would market to the non-offroad crowd looking for better fuel economy and power.
For others, FCA has already confirmed an Eco-Diesel option for the JL - perhaps similar to what currently powers the Ram 1500 – but no power numbers or potential launch time have been released from FCA.
Pentastar engine production will continue at Trenton South, and the V6 remains the JL’s standard under the hood option.
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