Report: Stellantis Discusses Engine Plans

by Matt Posky

Published: October 19th, 2023

report stellantis discusses engine plans

With Stellantis vowing to launch a slew of all-electric and hybrid vehicles by 2030, many are wondering how this will impact the lineup in North America. The company has repeatedly alluded to eliminating the HEMI V8 in favor of the more-European Hurricane 3.0-liter straight-six. While this is clearly being done to comply with emissions regulations without having to sacrifice power, plenty have bemoaned the company’s decision to abandon V8 powertrains whilst pivoting toward electrification.

But Micky Bly, senior vice president and head of global propulsion systems for Stellantis, recently assured the public that the company doesn’t intend on dumping combustion engines overnight. It’s even going to keep a few of Chrysler’s oldest units around — just with some improvements designed to meet the relevant emissions standards.

"When we came together as two families, PSA and FCA, we had a lot of engines,” the executive was quoted as saying by Automotive News on Wednesday. “We are rapidly streamlining our three-cylinder, four-cylinder and six-cylinder and even our eight-cylinder engines. We are aggressively streamlining our diesel portfolio. We already exited the 3.0-liter diesel. We will have a low-displacement diesel and a big diesel that's coming in the future."

Stellantis wants to have 75 EVs on sale globally by the end of the decade.

"We have to balance this approach,” said Mr. Bly. “ ICE is here to stay for a period of time. We are growing capacity, adding capacity, for South America, the Middle East and Europe and Asia Pacific.”

From Automotive News:

As for the U.S., Bly said Stellantis' strategy will see new engines and improved versions of current gasoline powertrains.

"One of the things that was very clear [in the merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles] was that we had some engines that were not performing well on our C02 road map," he said. "We could fix some of those things with [mild and plug-in hybrids]. The Hemi doesn't have all the attributes we needed. We could go and redo the Hemi, but we realized we needed to downsize the engine and bring up the power."

That happened late last year with the introduction of the 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo inline six-cylinder, which makes more power than the bigger, heavier 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. A high-output version of the Hurricane makes 520 hp, 35 hp more than the Hemi V-8. "We have more power. We just haven't released it yet," said Bly.

Losing the HEMI will remain a serious blow to some MOPAR fans. V8 motors are often seen as iconically American and there will be some prospective customers who will feel uneasy about losing a large, naturally aspirated motor for a smaller, more-complicated unit sporting forced induction. Properly cared for examples of Stellantis’ older V8 powertrain have surpassed 200,000 miles, whereas the inline-six is an unknown quantity reliant on turbocharging to make additional power.

But the manufacturer is already having trouble adhering to American regulations and likely couldn’t make good use of the V8 outside of the United States or Canada anyway. Keep in mind that the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group that created Stellantis has only upped the European influence.

Corporate leadership made it crystal clear that those newly acquired American brands (e.g. Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, RAM) would need to prove themselves viable if they were to continue existing. But Stellantis is also trying to prioritize synergy on a global scale, meaning there needs to be more overlap between its tiny-engined European cars and our hulking American behemoths.

It’s a scheme literally every company that’s bought up Chrysler has had trouble making work. However, it’s probably unavoidable since we’ve seen Ford and General Motors likewise prioritize smaller motors while pursuing a more global mindset. Besides, the United States is already echoing some of the regulatory jargon we’ve been seeing from Europe and President Biden has made it a priority to transition the country to all-electric vehicles as quickly as possible — regardless of how ready the relevant technologies, charging infrastructure, or consumers happen to be.

Stellantis is downsizing powertrains and has confirmed that the 3.0-liter Hurricane will get a smaller, 2.0-liter counterpart boasting just four cylinders. Automotive News also reported that there’s a three-cylinder version on the way that’s supposedly based on a preexisting European motor.

However, Bly did say that the Pentastar V6 would be sticking around – noting that the Hurricane was technically small enough to replace it. Considering how compact V6 motors tend to be on average vs I-6 motors, that’s a pretty serious brag. But the Pentastar will see some updates, including hybridization.

"The Pentastar is a very good, lower-cost, rock-solid, high-quality stalwart of our collection, and we have no plans to replace it. In fact, shortly, you will hear of an improvement coming, and it will be a bit of an electrification story,” stated Bly.

[Image: Stellantis]

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Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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5 of 26 comments

IH_Fever on Oct 20, 2023

I had a 2015 ram 2500 with a 6.4. It was a beast of an engine, but was limited by the overall tuning. If you poured the gas to it, it would flat out scoot, but only after it decided what gear it wanted. The MDS was a dumb way to try to market "fuel efficiency" in a 3/4 ton work truck and only served to make it sound like a fart canned civic when it cut half the cylinders. Now in theory it could be replaced with a turbo 6 banger, which will have to work much harder and be even more complex to mimic the old school V8. That's ok for the mall crawler half ton crowd. Expect fleets who actually use their trucks to go look elsewhere.

1 Reply
- See 1 previous
- Jeff on Oct 20, 2023
  
  Eventually fleet operators might have a hard time finding a V-8 powered truck because of the CAFE standards. As for straight 6s it hasn't been that long ago that trucks 1 ton and above only offered straight 6s and those trucks had no problem with carrying heavy loads or towing. The turbo Hurricane engines should not have any issues when it comes to towing and hauling. I have driven a number of old heavy duty trucks with straight 6s and though they didn't burn rubber they had no problem with heavy loads and didn't strain they might not have been able to go 100 mph or more but when you are hauling heavy loads or towing why would you want to go that fast.
  
  1
- Ajla on Oct 20, 2023
  
  Do you think the engine from a BMW M4 would be well-suited for HD truck duty? The hurricane has a lot more in common with that than it does a 5.9L inline-6 from yesteryear.
  
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- IH_Fever on Oct 20, 2023
  
  Jeff, we are talking 3/4 and 1 tons, the bulk of HD sales, not box trucks. Consumers expect big power and torque in this segment. Fleets want simple reliable platforms. The big V8s offer both but aren't "clean" enough for the eco activists. The default solution is to take a lower displacement engine, slap a turbo bandaid on it, rev the heck out of it to mimic the power of a V8. Why? Because no one wants the feel of a 300 I6 doing 55mph. You end up with an unnecessarily complicated, more expensive to maintain, ultimately less reliable engine that at best gets a couple more mpg. Another example of fixing something that ain't broke in the name of "progress."
  
  1
- Jeff on Oct 21, 2023
  
  IH_Fever--True but Stellantis is compromising in that it is complying with CAFE standards and to give the consumer a choice of a turbo straight 6 which is easier to accept than the GM turbo 2.7 I-4. A turbo straight 6 with fuel injection and modern multi speed transmission is much smoother than a straight 6 from the past with a carburetor and a 3 or 4 speed transmission. I have had a straight 3.7 5 cylinder (about 227 cubic inches) in a 2008 Isuzu I-370 crew cab pickup with a towing package which was the same as the Colorado/Canyon and it was a smooth running engine even at 80 but I wouldn't want that engine with a carb or an older transmission from 40 years ago. That 3.7 I-5 was not stressed nor was it a buzzy engine. Australia has had turbo straight 6s for years and one Australian Ford turbo 6 was modified to get over 1,000 horsepower without being buzzy so it can be done.
  If you are going to a 1 ton especially with duallies it would be better to go with a Cummins diesel.
  
  Like
- Lou_BC on Oct 21, 2023
  
  Fleet buyers that need power get diesels. Gassers tend to go into the "as cheap as possible" end of the fleet truck market. Those buyers know the trucks will get beat to death therefore are viewed as disposable appliances.
  My brother would get a new fleet truck every 2 - 3 years (sometimes less) due to the nature of his work - field operations on logging roads, harvesting and construction sites. He wasn't deliberately abusive. It was hard on trucks. Stock tires wouldn't last 8 months.
  
  Like
Redapple2 on Oct 20, 2023

Some one mention evilgm? Car&Driver. ERay test. V8 didnt make it 2000miles. Melted piston. WOW HOW DO YOU DO THAT ?????

Rubbish cars. HK are better

1 Reply
- JLChicago on Oct 20, 2023
  
  A Google search on Car & Drivers website shows no such thing. In fact their road test if the E-ray calls it the quickest Corvette ever. They lived the car. Do you have a source for your statement?
  
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