Chrysler Group's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6, 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8 Among Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2015

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Dec 10, 2014, 01:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 twice named to list of Ward's 10 Best Engines

707-horsepower 6.2-liter HEMI(R) Hellcat V-8 most powerful engine ever named to Ward's 10 Best Engines

3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 named one of Ward's 10 Best Engines for second straight year; lone diesel on 2015 list
New 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8 most powerful engine ever honored by WardsAuto
Fifth consecutive year Chrysler Group is represented among Ward's 10 Best; second consecutive year of multiple honors
EcoDiesel delivers best-in-class 28-mpg highway fuel economy in acclaimed 2015 Ram 1500 pickup; contributes to unsurpassed-in-its-class towing performance by Jeep Grand Cherokee, the most awarded SUV ever
Supercharged HEMI Hellcat most powerful passenger-car engine ever produced by Chrysler Group; delivers 22 mpg highway in 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat muscle coupe and Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat – quickest, fastest, most-powerful sedan ever
HEMI Hellcat represents 18th engine added to Chrysler Group's global lineup since model-year 2011, in addition to the Fiat 500e's battery-electric drive system, named one of Ward's 10 Best in 2014

Chrysler's Group's new supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8 joins the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 among Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2015, WardsAuto.com announced today.

It marks the EcoDiesel's second year on the prestigious annual list. Judges evaluated the turbodiesel V-6 in the 2015 Ram 1500, making it the only winning engine to be tested in a pickup truck.

Meanwhile, the 707-horsepower HEMI Hellcat is the most powerful engine ever honored by the auto-industry publication.

"These two distinctly different engines represent the wide range of powertrain-engineering expertise and technology at Chrysler Group," said Bob Lee, Vice President and Head of Engine, Powertrain and Electrified Propulsion Systems Engineering. "For their considerable might, they also are both highly efficient and refined – key hallmarks of Chrysler Group powertrains. Such attributes have helped power our vehicles to the top of the sales charts."

WardsAuto judges saw these qualities and more during their testing.

3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6

"It is as quiet and smooth as the diesels we've been testing in luxury cars, delivers an imposing 420 lb.-ft. of torque, and works in perfect harmony with Chrysler's standard (TorqueFlite) 8-speed transmission to deliver class-leading 28 miles per gallon on the highway," said Drew Winter, editor-in-chief of Ward's Auto World and senior editor of WardsAuto.com.

"It also uses the most-sophisticated emissions-reducing technology available, making it saleable in all 50 states, putting real eco in the EcoDiesel name. Plus, it features a block and bedplate made of ultra-strong compacted graphite iron that trims weight, improves NVH and enables a more space-efficient design."

The EcoDiesel's fuel pump is upgraded to accommodate the engine's 2,000-bar (29,000-psi) high-pressure common-rail injection system. The engine also benefits from Fiat's MultiJet 2 technology, which enables Injection Rate-Shaping – fuel injection that is modulated to mitigate noise and improve low-speed throttle response, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The system's high-dispersion nozzles and advanced-technology servovalve can accommodate up to eight fuel-injection events per cylinder cycle.

The EcoDiesel V-6 is available in the 2015 Ram 1500 full-size light-duty pickup and the mid-size 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the most-awarded SUV ever. Equipped with the EcoDiesel, the Grand Cherokee's 7,200-lb. tow rating is unsurpassed in its class – matched only by the Grand Cherokee powered by Chrysler Group's celebrated 5.7-liter HEMI V-8.

6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8

"A 707-hp engine in a car starting at less than $60,000 is an achievement all by itself, but what impressed WardsAuto editors beyond the V-8's prodigious output, diamond-coated washers, extra-strong alloy pistons and all the other extras that went into engineering this masterpiece, is how civilized the beast is in ordinary driving," Winter said. "It's easy to make a street-legal race car, but it is a major accomplishment to make such a powerful engine a pleasure to drive to the grocery store as well as at the track."

The HEMI Hellcat, with 91 percent new content compared with the 392 HEMI, is the heart and soul of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which starts at $59,995, and its stablemate, the Charger SRT Hellcat – the quickest, fastest, most-powerful sedan ever, boasting a certified quarter-mile clocking of 11 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph. Its starting U.S. MSRP is $62,995.

Accordingly, the HEMI Hellcat's engineering is, in a word, extreme. Consider:

Its forged-steel crankshaft is so well-engineered it can withstand firing pressures of 1,595 psi (110 bar) – the equivalent of five family sedans standing on each piston, every firing event
Its twin-screw supercharger, which has polymer-coated rotors, boasts a drive ratio of 2.36:1 and a maximum speed of 14,600 rpm
A low-temperature cooling circuit with two air/coolant heat exchangers integrated into the supercharger housing, keeps charged air temperatures below 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) while enabling air flow of up to 30,000 liters per minute
Its power is not de-rated due to cooling demands, even after 20 minutes of a hard driving on a road course at an ambient temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius)
Eight injectors served by half-inch fuel lines, each capable of delivering a flow rate of 600 cc/min; can drain the fuel tank in approximately 13 minutes at full power

And, of course, its block is HEMI Orange.

In both applications, Challenger and Charger, the HEMI Hellcat – which produces 650 lb.-ft of torque – is rated at 22 mpg in highway-cycle driving.

This marks the fifth consecutive year Chrysler Group has been represented among Ward's 10 Best Engines. It also is the second consecutive year the Company has received multiple honors.

"Recognition doesn't often follow powertrain engineering the way it does other auto-industry disciplines, so we at Chrysler Group join our industry counterparts in thanking the organizers and sponsors of Ward's 10 Best Engines for shining a spotlight on our work," said Lee, who is also Head of Powertrain Coordination (Group Executive Council) Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.

About Chrysler Group Powertrain
Rejuvenated when the Company was established in 2009, Chrysler Group's powertrain organization has intensified its efforts to develop engines that deliver superior performance, reliability and driving enjoyment. Since model-year 2011, Chrysler Group's powertrain organization has added 18 new engines to its showrooms around the globe, in addition to the Fiat 500e's battery-electric drive system listed on the 2014 edition of Ward's 10 Best Engines. Since 2009, nearly half of Chrysler Group's total manufacturing outlay has been directed toward powertrain projects.

About WardsAuto
Ward's Automotive Group is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data, and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for more than 80 years. WardsAuto World is a monthly magazine serving automotive professionals. WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data, and analysis compiled by WardsAuto. Other products include the weekly industry newsletter Ward's Automotive Reports, the monthly magazine WardsAuto Dealer Business, and a wealth of information services including reference annuals, online databases, and customized data reports.

About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA), designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, and the SRT performance vehicle designation. The Company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, FCA builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899. FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total vehicle sales in 2013, is an international automotive group engaged in designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing and selling vehicles and components and production systems. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."

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