Look for more powertrain options from Jeep going forward – with an emphasis on muscle, brand officials said Thursday. That includes the return of the 6.4-liter Hemi Hellcat engine while development of even more new performance “projects are already underway.” Jeep buyers also will get new opportunities to customize their vehicles when it comes to color, features and more, reports Headlight.News.
The Jeep Recon was supposed to be all-electric but could get other powertrain options in the future.
Struggling to recover from a series of self-inflicted “mistakes,” the Jeep brand has reduced prices across its line-up in recent months and is now out to make some other moves it’s hoping will bring buyers back into the fold.
Products like the Wrangler and Gladiator “will become more personal, more customizable,” said Jeep brand CEO Bob Broderdorf during a Thursday meeting with reporters. “We’re going to unlock options, new colors, new features and engine variants.”
In particular, he added, Jeep will introduce “bigger powertrains,” including more gas models. For starters, Jeep will pick up the cue from its sibling brand Ram and is set to bring back the 6.4-liter Hemi. But we may also see a broader variety of powertrains on any particular Jeep model, including internal combustion and electrified packages.
Fixing its mistakes
Jeep Grand Wagoneer plans to launch an updated version of the Grand Wagoneer (l) this year. The Wagoneer may soon follow.
Like Ram and Dodge, the Jeep brand made a number of questionable moves during the rein of Carlos Tavares, the former CEO of the Euro-American automaker Stellantis. Along with pushing prices beyond what many buyers could – or would – spend. The three Detroit-based brands put a premium on electrified drivetrains. Notably they all dropped the much-loved Hemi V-8.
“It’s clear just how much love the roar of the 392 (cubic inches),” said Broderdorf. “And, in fact, we will tap the power and performance of the Hemi across Jep products as new projects are already underway. And then we’ll go even further by bringing more powertrain options in the future, adding more horsepower to the line.”
One thing is clear, Broderdorf and other officials later told Headlight.News, gone are the days when any Jeep product will be offered solely with a four-cylinder engine as its only option. That’s not to say the brand won’t have high-mileage packages available, but there’ll be much more of a focus on performance going forward.
Six powertrain options
New Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa previously said Jeep will have access to six different powertrain technologies.
In a conversation last year, Antonio Filosa, now the new Stellantis CEO, told Headlight.News that Jeep will eventually be able to tap six different powertrain technologies, everything from mild hybrids to all-electric, as well as conventional and plug-in hybrids, range extenders and internal combustion engines. That will remain the case, Mickey Bly, the automakers global powertrain chief, said during an interview Thursday.
“It means I’m extra busy,” he said, noting that some Jeep products may actually have more powertrain options going forward.
One possibility: the Jeep Recon set to come to market before the end of this year. It was originally designed as a battery-electric vehicle, noted Bly. But it shares the flexible STLA Large platform –also used for the new Dodge Charger family – which means Recon might eventually be offered with other powertrain options, including a gas engine.
More Jeep News
- Jeep Takes 7 Concepts Off-Roading for Moab Easter Safari
- First Drive: Electrifying Jeep Wagoneer S
- Jeep Teases Return of the Iconic Cherokee Line
New federal policies
The Trump administration’s rollback of federal mileage standards will make it easier for automaker’s to boost performance.
One reason the various Stellantis brands dropped the Hemi was to minimize the company’s exposure to fines for failing to meet federal fuel economy standards. Late last month, the Trump administration announced it would not try to collect those fines for model years 2022 to 2025. And the White House has now moved to back down from the aggressive new mileage standards set during the Biden era.
While “We don’t change (plans) every week, every month,” said powertrain chief Bly, the change in administration policies will clearly make it easier to respond to customer demand for more powerful engine options, even if that means Stellantis sees its Corporate Average Fuel Economy slip.
For his part, Broderdorf said “I still need to be compliant in the rest of the world,” which is likely to mean fewer Hemis and more electrified models for markets like Europe going forward.
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