FCA Pentastar Production Hits 10 Million
TRENTON, Mich., Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Award-winning Pentastar engine family comprises six variations in three
displacements that power half of all vehicles produced for Chrysler,
Dodge, Jeep®, Ram and Ram Commercial lineups
-- Soon to be available in 16 FCA models across five brands and 10 vehicle
segments**
-- Highly flexible design has enabled timely evolution with seamless
integration of advanced technologies - from two-step variable valve lift
to hybridization
-- 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 contributes to 11 best-in-class U.S.-market
fuel-economy ratings across four vehicle segments,** along with six
unsurpassed ratings in three segments**
-- Best-selling engine in Canada, with its subarctic climate, for six years
running
-- Introduced in model-year 2011, Pentastar replaced seven engine families,
benefiting FCA with significant economies of scale
The 10-millionth Pentastar engine was produced here today at FCA US LLC's Trenton Engine Complex.
Introduced as a 3.6-liter V-6 in 2010, the Pentastar engine family has accounted for six placings among the prestigious annual list of Wards 10 Best Engines and currently comprises six fuel-saving variations that feature technologies from Variable Valve Lift (VVL) to hybridization.
Acclaimed for it silky, torque-rich performance, today's 3.6-liter Pentastar is the common denominator among 11 current best-in-class fuel-economy ratings for U.S.-market, gasoline-powered vehicles equipped with V-6 engines. (See below.) These are in addition to its ownership of the all-time minivan-efficiency mark, achieved in Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
Pentastars currently account for half the combined total of engines that power Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram and Ram Commercial vehicles. And with this year's launch of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup, they will be available in 16 models across 10 vehicle segments.**
"The Pentastar family has all the hallmarks of an enduring icon," said Bob Lee, Head of Engine, Powertrain and Electrified Propulsion, and Systems Engineering, FCA - North America. "We upped the ante among high-volume, mainstream-market, V-6 engines. And our customers won big."
Pentastar design distinguishes itself with innovative features ranging from a completely integrated exhaust manifold, to environmentally friendlier oil-filter cartridges made from paper. And with little or no modification, Pentastar engines can accommodate longitudinal or transverse mounting; front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive architectures; as well as automatic and manual transmissions.
Within four years of launch, this flexibility helped FCA replace seven six-cylinder engine families with a single V-6 design that lends responsiveness and fuel efficiency to every vehicle in which it is offered. These two attributes were key targets for the 2015 introduction of an upgraded 3.6-liter Pentastar, which boasts cooled exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) for greater efficiency, particularly under high load situations.
Further, the second-generation 3.6-liter Pentastar delivers a torque boost of up to 14.9 percent at engines speeds below 3,000 rpm - where torque really counts. FCA US also enhanced fuel economy and refinement with the addition of two-step variable valve lift (VVL).
Said Lee: "Pentastar engines do exactly what they were engineered to do. They deliver satisfying experiences in a wide range of driving conditions."
In Canada, where most of the country's climate is classified as subarctic, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is the best-selling engine for six years running.
For the 2019 Ram 1500 full-size pickup, the second-generation 3.6-liter Pentastar was adapted to accommodate the eTorque mild-hybrid system. It not only adds fuel-saving stop-start functionality that is seamless, it increases available torque, in short bursts, by up to 90 lb.-ft.
The eTorque-equipped Pentastar is also the latest member of the celebrated V-6 family to be named one of Wards 10 Best Engines. The remaining Pentastar family members are:
-- 3.6-liter V-6 hybrid in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
-- 3.6-liter V-6 (first- and second-generation)
-- 3.2-liter V-6, which is exclusive to the Jeep Cherokee
-- 3.0-liter V-6, which is exclusive to China
FUEL-ECONOMY ACHIEVEMENTS
Among model-year 2019 U.S.-market gasoline-powered vehicles with V-6 engines, the 3.6-liter Pentastar contributes to best-in-class, miles-per-gallon (mpg) ratings in these vehicle segments**:
Middle Specialty Car
-- Dodge Challenger - combined city/highway cycle (23 mpg)
-- Dodge Challenger - highway cycle (30 mpg)
Large Regular Car
-- Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 - combined city/highway cyle (23 mpg)
-- Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 - highway cycle (30 mpg)
-- Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 - city cycle (19 mpg)
Small Sport Utility
-- Jeep Wrangler - combined city/highway cycle (20 mpg)
-- Jeep Wrangler - highway cycle (25 mpg)
-- Jeep Wrangler - city cycle (18 mpg)
Middle Sport Utility
-- Jeep Grand Cherokee/Dodge Durango - combined cycle (21 mpg)
-- Jeep Grand Cherokee/Dodge Durango - highway cycle (26 mpg)
-- Jeep Grand Cherokee/Dodge Durango - city cycle (19 mpg)
Among current U.S.-market gasoline-powered vehicles with V-6 engines, the 3.6-liter Pentastar contributes to unsurpassed fuel-economy ratings in these vehicle segments**:
Middle Specialty
-- Dodge Challenger - city cycle (19 mpg)
Small Van
-- Chrysler Pacifica - combined mpg (22)
-- Chrysler Pacifica - highway mpg (28)
-- Chrysler Pacifica - city mpg (19)
Large Pickup
-- Ram 1500 (with eTorque mild-hybrid technology) - combined city/highway
cycle (22 mpg)
-- Ram 1500 (with eTorque mild-hybrid technology) -city cycle (20 mpg)
** 2019 WardsAuto Segmentation
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SOURCE FCA US LLC
