Closet Jeep guy
Well-Known Member
Hellcat is getting discontinued in 2023 in favor of this new engine . The new engine will only have 3 power stages . Go to Motor1.com . There is an article, I would share it but im reading it on my work computer and typing this on my phoneNot quoting but octane requirements are discussed above. FYI the press release specifically noted the SO version of the engine would run on regular (premium recommended). The HO requires premium.
That leads me to a quick side-bar that unlike, say, some German turbo applications where there is very little aside from computer code which separates versions of an engine with different power levels, the Hurricane SO/HO split is pretty meaningful here, and Jeep's marketing team is playing it up too. I make no claim about the actual production cost or complexity differences between the two engines, but the way Jeep is talking about them stresses their differences more than their similarities: one is supposedly tuned for efficiency, the other power; one runs on regular, the other premium; on the Wagoneer it looks like the HO is identified as the 'grand' version of the engine; etc. And beyond the marketing side, the engines differ not only in their programming and the turbos, but in heads, pistons, and crank. My read is this is not a F-150 2.7 vs 3.5, or a Silverado 5.3 vs 6.2 situation where the upgrade pricing is modest, but more akin to something like a BMW 340i vs M3 situation where the higher output motor is priced at a large premium even if the core archetecture is unchanged. My optimistic take then is that by pushing the HO version of the engine upmarket they're creating space for the SO version to be pushed downmarket without the public being too pissed off at a large price delta between them. And since I'm way more confident the SO version will come to Gladiator versus the HO, I see that as a good thing for us,.
This is good analysis. I wondered about the 250k too, which is a weird number which makes it a volume part but seemingly (but maybe not? does anyone know current HEMI numbers for Dodge+Ram+Jeep products??) insufficient to fully replace the HEMI? I speculate above that perhaps the factory will scale up from 250k/units as HEMI production winds down, but that's a guess. I agree if it stays at 250k it's hard to make sense of it as anything like a Pentastar + HEMI replacement, but as long as current HEMI sales are 250k+ then almost by default the 250k figure has to be something less than the long-term production level.
I also agree the lack of 2.0 in JT makes this weird. If we're in a world where Stellantis sees this engine as relevant for the next decade and as the core of their 50% internal combustion fleet, it makes a ton of sense in the JL to have it coexist alongside the 2.0 the same way the Grand Cherokee and 1500 had the HEMI alongside the Pentastar. In the JL then the 3.0 would be viable where the HEMI wasn't because 1) it's more efficient and harms CAFE numbers less; and 2) it's positioned against MY23+ competitors which will be increasingly electrified and accordingly have high EV power levels. But where Gladiator fits in, given it never got the 2.0, is more of a mystery. Part of me wonders if the 2.0 rollout has been slower than expected for some reason, and if there isn't some sort of mildly electrified 2.0 powertrain coming to serve as the base 1500, Charger, Challenger, and Grand Cherokee motor. If not then it's harder to see the Pentastar being easily eliminated, and an existent Pentastar seemingly makes the Hurricane less likely for Gladiator
One final prediction: the HO model is going to be effectively the new SRT part, and they're going to build a Hellcat off it later with further turbo and boost improvements. That justifies all the expensive internal changes to the Hurricane to move from SO -> HO power levels (which otherwise aren't all that different), since the changes would need to be made anyways for the future 3.0 Hellcat, and it makes the marketing job easier to justify higher costs and higher margins on the muscle cars without destroying the SO versions' ability to compete with Ford and Chevy.
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