Following a three year investment of US$730m, Chrysler Group unveiled the production launch of its Pentastar V6 engine at an event on Friday (19 March) at the Trenton, Michigan South Engine Plant (TSEP). The company claimed the engine was a “cornerstone” of its efforts to reinvent its business model.

Chrysler said the Pentastar is the most advanced V6 engine in the company’s history and will contribute to an overall fuel-efficiency improvement of more than 25% across the Chrysler, Ram Truck, Jeep and Dodge product lineup. The engine will ultimately replace seven current Chrysler Group V6s and use technologies from the Fiat alliance such as Multiair, direct injection and turbocharging.

The first application of this engine will be in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, due out in the second quarter this year.

“The Pentastar engine is a cornerstone of Chrysler’s efforts to re-invent its business model with strong, brand-focused, world-class quality products,” said Scott Garberding, head of manufacturing, Chrysler Group.

The start of production at Trenton South, the company said, represents one piece of the Chrysler Group’s revamped powertrain strategy. In December 2009, the company announced that it would invest US$179m in its Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) plant in Dundee, Michigan, to produce the 1.4-litre, 16-valve Fully Integrated Robotised Engine (FIRE). These two plants have a combined investment of nearly $1 billion.

Chrysler Group announced a $730m investment in the Pentastar programme when it broke ground on the 822,000-square-foot facility in May 2007. The plant will have an annual manufacturing capacity of more than 400,000 engines.

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