A twin turbo and single-turbocharger version were planned for 2014; both were to be 3.0 liters and slated for limited-production models (e.g. a new Viper based on a Maserati or an SRT mid-sized car). The twin-turbo version was projected to produce 420 horsepower while the single-turbo was set for 370 hp. These no longer appear to be under active development and may have been either postponed or sent off to Ferrari. That said, a December 2011 financial report from Chrysler noted that the Pentastar had an “architecture for downsized displacement, direct injection, turbo charging, and MultiAir.”
A 3.3 liter version was planned, but this may have been dropped, because gas mileage was almost the same as with the 3.6. (These horsepower figures are estimates, and final ratings may vary.) A V8 was rumored early on, but it did not appear in the Five Year Plan; a 4.8 liter V8 still seems to be in the cards, though whether it's a mini-Hemi or a 3.6+2 cylinders is unclear.
MoparNorm wrote that the 3.2 is being created by changing the thickness of the cylinder liner, rather than changing the bore in the block, or shortening the stroke. The piston and rings will change, it will have smaller journals, and should have increased gas mileage through reducing rolling resistance.
The 3.2 engine is reportedly being developed with a torque bias, which makes sense given its first application, the Jeep Liberty. Rumor has a supercharged 3.2 in the works, but plans for other Pentastar engines have already changed; MDS, long part of the design, might have been eliminated (largely because its effects would not be noticeable: the Pentastar’s wide torque band allows it to sit around at 1,200 rpm when cruising and 600 rpm when idling. Moving to three cylinders at that point might not save enough fuel to be worth the added cost.)
The state-of-the-art Trenton (Mich.) Engine South plant is the lead facility for production of the Pentastar V-6 engine, with a duplicate facility in Saltillo, Mexico. Production started in March 2010.
The new lineup of Mercedes V6 engines are most likely close relatives of the Chrysler V6.
The following table was first provided in July 2006 with information from oh20, in a form not dissimilar from its current state; he updated the chart at the end of November 2008 to the following (except horsepower, which we derived from the Five Year Plan). All engines have variable valve timing unless otherwise noted.
| Size | Line | Horsepower | Cars | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 V6 | Base Premium Direct Injection MDS | (n/a) | Exports | Dropped or sent to Ferarri / Maserati |
| 3.0 V6 Turbo | Premium | 360 | SRT, Maserati | Dropped or sent to Ferarri / Maserati |
| 3.3 V6 | VVT | 260 | 200, Avenger, Minivans | Dropped |
| 3.2 V6 | Direct Injection | Challenger, Charger, Minivans, Grand Cherokee, Durango | Summer 2012 production, maybe without direct injection | |
| 3.3 V6 | DI/HEV | 200, Avenger, 300, Minivans | Dropped | |
| 3.3 V6 | MDS | 280 | 200, Avenger, Minivans | Dropped |
| 3.6 V6 | VVT | 280-305 | Grand Cherokee, Durango, 200, Avenger, 300, Challenger, Charger, Journey, Wrangler, minivans | In production |
| 3.6 V6 | Direct Injection | Ram, Wrangler | Direct injection dropped? | |
| 3.6 V6 | MDS (late intro) | Probably dropped | ||
| 3.6 V6 | HEV | Minivans | Unknown | |
| 3.6 V6 | PZEV | 200, Avenger, Minivans | Unknown | |
| 4.0 V6 | Base (no VVT) | marine use | Unknown | |
| 4.0 V6 | Premium, MDS, no VVT | marine use | Unknown | |
| 4.7 or 4.8 V8 | VVT | Ram, Charger, 300, Dakota, Grand Cherokee, Durango | Unknown, would appear around 2014-2015 |
If we rely only on the Five Year Plan chart and what we know of current production and testing, we get this revised chart. While the Five Year Plan has the 3.3 listed, we believe they will go with a 3.2 liter engine instead. We don’t know what happened to direct injection — or whether the 3.2 will be MultiAir equipped. We believe the 3.2 will debut on the forthcoming Jeep Liberty.
| Size | Line | Horsepower |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 V6 | Direct Injection Turbo (Ferrari? Dead?) | 360 |
| 3.0 V6 | Direct Injection Twin Turbo (Ferrari? Dead?) | 410 |
| 3.2 V6 | Torque biased (Liberty debut) | 250 |
| 3.2 V6 | Supercharged | 300 |
| 3.6 V6 | Already Launched | 280 |
The current V6 engines (dating back to around 1990) should be phased out by the end of calendar year 2012. The last survivor is the 3.7, still used in Ram trucks and the Jeep Liberty. Production of the 3.7 is likely to wind down in August 2012.
Past rumors: did we get it right?
Allpar.com started posting news about the Pentastar V6 in 2006, four years before its official release. The Phoenix engines were first discussed by Allpar member "superduckie" way back in March 2006. oh20 (who had been accurate on the Ram, Challenger, Caliber, and Sebring) provided the preceding table of the engines and cars they’d go into back in July 2006.
This report came on November 3, 2008:
Even the most powerful Phoenix, displacing 3.6 liters and producing (in preliminary tests) over 280 horsepower, is quieter than Toyota’s 3.3 liter V6 - and far quieter than the Toyota 3.5 liter V6. Gas mileage is said to be good, partly due to the use of high-pressure, die-cast blocks, which save on labor and allow for thinner walls and less use of aluminum. These blocks are 20 pounds lighter than General Motors’ V6 blocks, saving around $40 per engine on aluminum alone; an independent firm estimated that these engines are at least $300 cheaper to build than GM’s current V6 line.
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