Total production of the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Pentastar V6 engine family surpassed the 5-million mark earlier this month.
First introduced in the 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee, the Pentastar V6 is the most advanced six-cylinder engine in the history of FCA US, with an ideal integration of select technologies that deliver refinement, fuel efficiency and performance. Today, Pentastar V6 engines are available in 14 vehicles from the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands.
Since the start of 2015, 47% of FCA US vehicles sold are equipped with a Pentastar V6 engine.
The Pentastar V6 engine family consists of two displacements for the South African market: 3.6-liter (Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, Chrysler 300C and Dodge Journey) and 3.2-liter (Jeep Cherokee). Three FCA US facilities produce these engines:
- Trenton Engine Complex, Trenton, Mich. (3.6-liter, 3.2-liter)
- Saltillo South Engine Plant, Saltillo, Mexico (3.6-liter)
- Mack Avenue Engine Plant, Detroit (3.6-liter, 3.2-liter)
Flexibility: A Pentastar Hallmark
In terms of character, the Pentastar V6 can be mannerly, as demonstrated in the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Journey; refined, as in the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee; or beastly, as in the rugged Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.
Other international Pentastar V6 engine applications for the 2015 model year are: Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan and 300 full-size sedan; Dodge Charger sport sedan, Dodge Challenger coupe, Grand Caravan minivan, Durango full-size SUV and Journey mid-size crossover; Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee; and Ram Pick-up trucks and Cargo Vans as well ProMaster full-size van.
In addition, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is a three-time winner of Ward’s 10-Best Engines award (2011-2013).
The Pentastar V6 architecture further distinguishes itself with flexibility. With little or no modification, it can accommodate longitudinal and transverse orientations; front-wheel-, rear-wheel-, all-wheel- and four-wheel-drive systems; 6-speed manual transmissions and 6, 8 and 9-speed automatic transmissions.
All Pentastar engines feature a 60-degree, deep-skirt, die-cast-aluminum cylinder block with six-bolt main caps that provide optimal stiffness for NVH mitigation. Also contributing to NVH reduction are:
- A structural windage tray to complement block stiffness
- A structural aluminum oil pan
- Direct-mounted alternator and A/C compressor, which increase stiffness
- Select-fit pistons with polymer-graphite-coated piston skirts
- “Silent chain” timing drive with inverted teeth for minimal sprocket NVH
- Contoured composite cylinder-head covers
- All Pentastar engines feature variable valve timing (VVT), which enhances fuel efficiency
- Further enhancing the driving experience is the specially designed, glass-reinforced, nylon composite intake manifold, which benefits from low-rumble tuning.
The Pentastar family’s defining design element is its exhaust manifold. The manifold is integrated with the cylinder head, which enables greater packaging efficiency.
The engine also features forged-steel connecting rods and piston-squirter jets, and its cam drive and valve-train components require no scheduled maintenance.
