JL Wrangler’s eTorque Motor a ‘Paragon of Refinement,’ AutoGuide
Looks like FCA’s hybrid eTorque system is the new ‘must-have’ engine for the Wrangler. Are the days of the Pentastar regime now over?
Jeep and four-cylinder engines go back to the very beginning of the brand. But over the years, other, bigger engines have become legends in their own right. The CJ-5 and CJ-7 offered the stout AMC 304 cubic inch V8. Later on, the 4.0-liter straight-six became a Jeep icon under the hood of the first two Wrangler models. More recently, the Pentastar V6 has been the preferred engine of choice for Jeep fans. Following the arc of history then, it would seem that the four-banger’s dominance is a thing of the past. But according to AutoGuide’s Craig Cole, the new 2.0-liter turbo four with FCA’s hybrid eTorque system is the engine to order in your new Wrangler.
Considering the unproven (even sacrilegious to some) reputation of the eTorque four, that may seem like a surprise. But Cole’s reasoning is pretty iron-clad. Starting off, he calls the engine a “superb drivetrain.” And at 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, it’s actually torquier than the 285 horsepower Pentastar’s 260 pound-feet. Cole calls the torque delivery from the new powerplant “absolutely amazing.”
Torque, Torque & More Torque
Much of that added torque comes from the aptly-named eTorque system – 70 pound-feet, to be exact. Other benefits include an unobtrusive stop/start system, regenerative braking, and an aid for smoother shifting.
Of course, a hybrid four-cylinder is going to be more fuel efficient. And in a two-ton Wrangler Unlimited, that means a combined 22-MPG rating. Much of that is due to the engine’s architecture. A two-stage oil pump, direct fuel injection, and a twin-scroll turbocharger make power delivery linear and keep things as smooth as possible. It’s enough for Cole to call the engine “a paragon of refinement.”
If there are any downsides to the 2.0-liter engine, they’re largely limited to this: It’s a $1,000 option, and it isn’t available with the manual transmission. While a 6-speed Wrangler with the eTorque-assisted four sounds perfect to us, it just isn’t in the cards from the factory. Still, after decades of preferring the big six over the four, it looks like Jeep may have found a replacement for displacement.
Photos: AutoGuide
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