It could see widespread use in Jeeps, Fiats, and Alfa Romeos too. Leading the charge for FCA's medium-output vehicles.
The Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group is reportedly hard at work on an upcoming 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that’s meant for widespread use within the group’s line-up.
Codenamed Hurricane, the powerplant itself according to Automotive News is said to be produced at FCA’s new US$75 million engine facility in Trenton, Michigan (south of Detroit), is said to be designed for vehicles that require an output of up to 224kW (300hp) and will occupy engine bays where previously the larger and thirstier 3.6-litre naturally aspirated Pentastar V6 would have slotted into.
The official details remain quite scarce at this point but sources point to the Alfa Romeo Giulia being the first recipient of the new aluminium 2.0-litre engine which will also sport modern technologies such as direct fuel injection, Multiair variable valve timing and a twin-scroll turbocharger.
There are also rumours going that the next-generation Jeep Wrangler will also be receiving the engine, immediately making it the most fuel-efficient Wrangler ever introduced.
The rollout of this new engine will put FCA on par with many of its key rivals who have much earlier introduced a general-purpose turbocharged four-cylinder engine with highly adaptable output levels depending on tune.
A likely pairing for the new Hurricane engine would be an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission which is a quick shifter and famously frugal with fuel.
