New FCA Turbo-Four Engine to Make 300 Horses

Fiat Chrysler Automobile NV’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is expected to kick out nearly 300 hp.

The engine, which is code named the Hurricane, will bow in 2017 as an option in the all-new Jeep Wrangler SUV, Automotive News reports. The newspaper, which cites unnamed sources, says the aluminum-block powerplant will feature direct injection, variable valve timing and a twin-scroll turbocharger.

Last month FCA announced plans to invest $75 million at its Trenton, Mich., engine plant to produce a new 4-cylinder engine on a flexible line at the facility. The plant currently makes the carmaker’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which the turbo-four will replace. That engine produces 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

In the 2018 Wrangler, the new four-banger is expected to be mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The combination likely would provide a significant improvement over the current Wrangler’s 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway EPA rating with the Pentastar V-6 and 5-speed automatic transmission.