We expected Stellantis to unveil its new, revolutionary turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six gas engine in April. That's not happening because Stellantis just unveiled it in March. The new engine is called the Hurricane. It will replace the 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter V8s in the Stellantis lineup, as the conglomerate figures out going all-electric. And it's going to do so with not just greater fuel economy but more power.
Stellantis announced two versions of the Hurricane. The Standard Output, optimized for better fuel economy, can deliver more than 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. That would be a jump over the 5.7-liter V8's 395 hp and 410 lb-ft. The High Output, tuned for better performance, offers more than 500 hp and 475 lb-ft. That exceeds the 6.4-liter V8's maximum output of 485 hp and 475 lb-ft.
According to Stellantis, these inline-six Hurricane engines will be up to 15% more efficient than their V8 counterparts. Stellantis also designed the engines with eventual hybrid applications in mind.
What cars will get the Hurricane engine? The short answer is a lot of them. Swapping out all of the V8s would likely mean the Hurricane showing up in the Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer in the Jeep lineup. Both standard and high output versions could end up in the Ram 1500. Expect this engine to be the cornerstone of next-generation, Chief Donut Maker-approved Dodge muscle too.
If you're lamenting the demise of the naturally-aspirated V8s, we'd point out that it's still a combustion engine and there's nothing wrong with a well-executed twin-turbocharged 3.0 inline-six — a format well executed by BMW, Mercedes and Toyota's legendary 2JZ engine. And a similar transition to six-cylinder power at Toyota markedly improved both the new Lexus LX and the Tundra pickup.
We don't yet know how quickly the transition to the Hurricane will happen or in which vehicles. Though the brief configurator appearance of a $2,000 "Engine Upgrade" suggests the Hurricane could be coming to the Grand Wagoneer very soon.
