Why Jeep is Ditching V8s for a 6-Cylinder in the 2023 Wagoneer
The new six-cylinder Hurricane motor will now be the engine of choice in the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Some purists may be sad that it’s losing the V8, but the new motor has the goods.
The Hurricane Twin Turbo and Hurricane Twin Turbo 510 will be offered in a limited run, this quarter, on some Wagoneers. Both engines are turbocharged with direct injection and can make up to 510 horsepower.
The layout is what makes the Hurricane a 510-hp-special order
These motors have only six cylinders. But a straight-six is an excellent design if you’re looking to make a smooth, powerful, vehicle. If you don’t believe it, take one look at BMWs catalogue of big powerful straight-six motors over the years.
Standard on the L Wagonner is the Hurricane Twin Turbo 510. It’s called the 510 because it makes 510 horsepower, and 500 lb-ft of torque. Its’ more fuel efficient, smoother, and emits less pollution than Stellantis’ other V8 options, which incidentally, make less power (unless you have a Hellcat).
Forget the “V” in the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer
Chrysler made straight-sixes, often called the “slant six” because its six cylinders were at a 30-degree angle, from 1959 to 1987. The company has a long history of making a straight-six that was popular, but the new Hurricane motor doesn’t share anything else with the slant motor than the style.
The Hurricane motors are straight-six motors meaning their cylinders are all in a line, instead of three on each side like a V6. The big benefit of a straight six (or a V-12 with two of them) is that the secondary forces of the cylinders can cancel each other out. They are smooooooth.
They are also simple. A V6 needs two cylinder heads, two valvetrains, and two of everything else. A straight-six simply needs one long valve head and one valvetrain. That makes adding a turbo, like Jeep did with the Hurricane, a little bit easier.
For years Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and especially BMW hung their hats on straight-six motors as a way to make smooth, but powerful, luxury cars. Or luxury SUVs. Straight-six engines also can make gobs of torque, but use less fuel than a V8. That made straight-six engines popular in work trucks for decades.
The main reason that most manufacturers stopped making a straight is packaging. They’re long. A V8 is only four cylinders long, instead of six, and that meant you could build a car with a shorter front end and more passenger room.
You can get the Hurricane today in the Grand Wagoneer
Stellantis said at the New York International Show that the 510 will be available starting this quarter in a few 2022 Grand Wagoneers.
The 2023 Jeep Wagoneer can be ordered as an eight-passenger luxury SUV that will compete with Escalades and Navigators. You can order it with a V8 that makes 392 horsepower, or 118 less than the Hurricane, or with a 6.4 liter V8 that has 471 horsepower. The Wagoneers have most of the options that you’d expect from an expensive large luxury SUV. Like others in the class, Wagoneers are built body-on-frame so they can tow up to 10,000 pounds and handle tough off roading duties.
The new engine will also be in the Wagoneer L Carbide. The Carbide is the newest mega-fancy Wagoneer, and it features gloss black accents, black grille rings, black badges, a tri-pane panoramic sunroof, and new black seats and smoke accent stitching.
We’re expecting the powerful Hurricane to be offered in Ram trucks, Dodge SUVs, and possibly Dodge sedans like the Charger in the future.
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