These days, while the transformation of the automotive industry revolves around electric cars and electric powertrains, Stellantis makes a peculiar announcement – the launch of an all-new gasoline engine.
The company has revealed a new, 3.0-liter, twin-turbo, inline, six-cylinder engine named Hurricane that delivers better fuel economy and fewer emissions than larger engines while at the same time generating more horsepower and torque than many competitors’ naturally aspirated V-8 and boosted six-cylinder power plants.
The new Hurricane engine initially comes in two variants – Standard Output (SO), which is optimized for fuel economy, including the use of cooled exhaust gas circulation (EGR), while delivering enhanced power and torque (more than 400 hp/450 lb.-ft. of torque). And High Output (HO), version calibrated to generate more than 500 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque while maintaining significant fuel economy during heavy use, such as towing.
Stellantis says the twin-turbocharged Hurricane offers a broad, nearly linear torque-delivery band that allows the engine to maintain at least 90% of its peak torque figure from a rock-bottom 2,350 rpm to redline, which can make it a very interesting engine, especially in the HO version.
The engine shares bore and stroke and cylinder spacing with the already available 2.0-liter I4 deployed on Jeep models. The new engine uses two high-flow turbochargers, one for three cylinders, providing 22 psi of boost for the SO and 26 psi for the HO.
Final Hurricane horsepower and torque figures will vary depending on the vehicle using it. The first cars powered by the twin-turbo Hurricane I-6 will reach dealership showrooms this year, but Stellantis has yet to say what the inaugural models will be.