Powertrains | November 11 2015

Can you name that engine? Day III

Was Tuesday’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine – a mainstay in the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram Truck lineup – easier or harder than Monday’s HEMI® Hellcat? The one you heard powered a Jeep Wrangler.

Since its Spring 2009 unveiling, more than 5 million Pentastar engines have powered our cars, SUVs and trucks on the roadways.

Redesigned for the 2016 model year, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine benefits from numerous upgrades that better harness the combustion event. The upshot is improved efficiency. Most notably, the engine’s compression ratio jumps to 11.3:1 from 10.2:1, compared with the engine’s previous iteration.

Depending on the application, the redesigned Pentastar V-6 delivers fuel-economy improvements of more than 6%, while increasing torque more than 14.9%. This occurs at engine speeds below 3,000 rpm, where elevated torque has its most profound impact on the driving experience.

Enhancements such as two-step variable valve lift (VVL), cooled exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) and innovative weight-reduction strategies boost the engine’s efficiency and performance, all while preserving the smoothness that remains a hallmark of the Pentastar brand.

We’ve heard the HEMI Hellcat and the 3.6-liter Pentastar. What’s next? Let’s hear it.