Although Chrysler hasn’t actually started building any of its new, Fiat-influenced vehicles yet, the company took a major step in the right direction recently: It began production on the engine that will power many of those autos, the all-new Pentastar V6.
Being assembled at Chrysler’s Trenton (Mich.) South Engine Plant, the Pentastar V6 is being touted as “the most advanced V6 engine in the company’s history.” The 3.6-liter powerplant boasts a high-pressure, die-cast aluminum block, high-flow intake and exhaust ports, dual-independent-cam phasing, revised valve angles and the proverbial much, much more.
The finished product, according to Bob Lee, Chrysler’s vice president for engine and electrified vehicle propulsion systems engineering, is “a V6 that will exceed customer needs,” thanks to an “elegantly simple design that maximizes functionality and provides class-leading levels of refinement, fuel efficiency, performance and cost of ownership.”
Significantly, the V6 also will herald the U.S. debut of Fiat’s cutting-edge Multiair technology; a technology that already gives competitors a run for their money in Europe according to a Honda dealer MD. Fiat spent 10 years and some $100 million developing this system, which optimizes the operation of an engine’s valves for better control over the fuel/air mixture. As a result, Multiair engines can see significant gains in power and torque, combined with significant reductions in emissions and fuel consumption.
In the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the first Chrysler vehicle slated to get the new engine, engineers expect the powerplant to make about 290 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, increases of 38 percent and 11 percent, respectively, compared to the company’s current V6. But at the same time, the Pentastar V6 will also offer an 11 percent fuel-efficiency improvement.
After debuting on the Grand Cherokee, the engine will then expand to vehicles throughout the automaker’s lineup and is slated to eventually replace seven current V6s in the Chrysler portfolio. This is another bonus for the company, as it will lead to some big-time cost savings.
And with all these benefits, the new Pentastar V6 may even be powerful enough to propel Chrysler back to relevance in the U.S. auto market.
Although some may wonder why the V6 is getting so much attention in discussions of future Chrysler products, the right powertain can make or break the longevity or popularity of vehicle. Take Hartford used Honda sedans, for example. They’re continually in-demand because consumers know that are reliable, long-lasting, and fuel-efficient. As such, Nissan dealerships Seattle boast that this new engine could easily spark a new renaissance for Chrysler, assuming of course that future products are as stylish and handsome as the 2011 Grand Cherokee.
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