New Turbocharged Inline Six-Cylinder Engine from FCA
With the way things are shaping up for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) lately, one would be right to think the auto market is about to get a wake up call. When an automaker starts to suddenly skyrocket past its competitors in sales, they start to get a little more attention. One of the reasons FCA could have done so well in the first three quarters of 2018 could be that purchase of over 60,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid units by Alphabet Inc. for the Waymo self-driving vehicle fleet. Maybe this all has to do with the five-year plan by FCA. Either way, the automotive group has been consistently upgrading their powertrains, and the latest addition is a new setup altogether – a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine.
A turbocharged engine, you say? Some readers may get a little déjà vu when discussing FCA and a turbocharged engine. Early on in 2018, FCA announced a new “Global Medium Engine” designed for future lineups. Known as a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Jeep Wrangler JL has already been chosen as one of the models to sport this powertrain, rated at a best-in-class 270 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Such a tiny engine packs quite the punch, and due to its size, consumers can be sure fuel economy will still make this powertrain a formidable match.
This was the first upgrade in new powertrains for FCA. The next development took place over a team up between the FCA and lightweight OEM parts supplier Nemak and Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. See, certain FCA brands, specifically Dodge, are known to really boost horsepower – just look at any SRT vehicle. The added heat from these increases of horsepower tend to crack the cylinder heads of engines, and to fix that problem, FCA and Nemak created a new aluminum alloy for future engine designs.
So what’s this new turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine? Well, ever since V6 and V8 engines became popular, the infamous inline six-cylinder engine died out in 2007. Now that FCA has a new Global Medium Engine design and alloy, well, it wouldn’t take long for someone to ask the question, “What if we turbocharge an inline six-cylinder?”
Another question one may ask would be, “How about we turbocharge a standard V6 engine?” Interestingly enough, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles did test out the effects turbocharging would have on a V6 engine with the popular Pentastar V6. The results were, to say the least, a little underwhelming. Not only that, but when tested with an inline six-cylinder engine, the turbocharged I4 was believed to even outperform the Pentastar V6 completely, in either capacity, 3.2-liters or 3.6-liters.
Wow, what power! Can anyone imagine how great of a combination this turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine would be with eTorque? Yes, eTorque, the new mild-hybrid system from FCA, eTorque, found in the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL and 2019 Ram 1500. Both FCA vehicles benefit from eTorque, not only for its hybrid capabilities, but also the amount of torque it delivers on its own. For example, the 2019 Ram 1500 comes standard with the Pentastar V6 engine, able to generate 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque – add the eTorque system to that powertrain, and consumers are looking at 359 lb-ft of torque. That’s a huge difference.
So yeah, we’re excited about the a new turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine from FCA. Improvements like this are what the 21st Century is all about. Let us know what you think on Aventura CJDR social media. You can also find the new Jeep Wrangler JL and 2019 Ram 1500 on our lot any day.