Fiat->ke30 Chrysler->ke21 Automobiles has just surpassed making its five millionth Pentastar V-6 engine. That’s easy to believe considering its wide spread use and availability in nearly every FCA product. In fact, 47 percent of all FCA’s U.S.-spec vehicles have come equipped with the V-6 since the start of 2015.

Introduced in 2010 with the then-new Jeep Grand Cherokee,->ke936 the Pentastar V-6 began life displacing 3.6 liters. Now the engine design has grown to include a 3.2-liter version for the Jeep Cherokee->ke4617 and a 3.0-liter version for the Chinese-spec Wrangler,->ke425 Grand Cherokee, and Chrysler 300.->ke937

It’s thanks to the engine’s compact design that allows so many vehicles to utilize it. A 60-degree V keeps its width to a minimum while its exhaust manifolds are integrated into the cylinder heads, eliminating the jumble of individual exhaust tubing. This allows the Pentastar to be easily fitted into either a transverse or longitudinal powertrain orientation with almost no modifications between applications. What’s more, its A/C compressor and alternator are mounted directly to the block, eliminating the need for numerous accessory drive variations.

In the truck world, the Pentastar makes headlines in both the Ram and Jeep brand. The 3.6-liter V-6 comes standard in the Ram 1500 and offers 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, giving the truck a respectable V-6 max tow rating of 7,600. As for the Jeep brand, the 3.6-liter is still going strong in the Grand Cherokee. The Wrangler also uses the 3.6-liter, except in China, where FCA powers the Jeep with the 230-horse, 210-pound-feet 3.0-liter version.

The Pentastar might not be as iconic as say, the GM small-block V-8, but with FCA’s widespread and continued use of the engine, that could chance over time. Just don’t count on hot-rodders swapping Pentastars in their weekend toys.

Continue reading for more information

Why It Matters

Keeping commonalities between in engines save time and money when engineering them into a new vehicle. With the exhaust manifold and accessory drive incorporated into the packaging, engineers don’t have to design new solutions for mounting and routing these items from vehicle to vehicle. Besides that, having a trusty powertrain that hops from vehicle to vehicle make for good business. Congrats, FCA, on surpassing the 5 million mark.