Stellantis twin-turbo inline-six petrol engine 'close to production'

The North American arm of Stellantis is reportedly close to unveiling its latest engine, set to power a range of Jeep, Dodge and Ram models.

According to Autoblog, the new powerplant is a twin-turbocharged, inline-six petrol engine, intended to replace the long-standing 5.7-litre Hemi "Eagle" V8 – which is currently available in the Jeep Grand Cherokee S-Limited and Ram 1500 locally.

Allegedly known as the GME T6 or Tornado, the engine will reportedly be produced in Saltillo, Mexico, where the rest of the Hemi engines are currently manufactured, while Mopar Insiders previously claimed there will also be a high-performance and plug-in hybrid variant.

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When asked by Autoblog whether there was any new information regarding the engine, Jeep's brand chief, Jim Morrison, replied: "Are you coming to New York?"

The New York International Auto Show is set to run from April 15 to 24, having been pushed back from its original August 20-29, 2021 date due to the COVID-19 Delta outbreak in the United States.

Last year, Jeep announced its plans to electrify its entire model line-up by 2025, with a four-cylinder, plug-in hybrid variant of the Grand Cherokee already launched. However, if the Tornado engine gains electric assistance, it could potentially exceed the power outputs of the range-topping SRT with its 6.4-litre V8 boasting 334kW and 624Nm.

It's understood Jeep will have a fully-electric variant of every model by 2030, with a move away from internal combustion engines set to come shortly after, meaning the Tornado could be one of Stellantis's final ICEs to enter production.