Generally – certainly when it comes to car enthusiasts – the more grunt a car can produce, the better. A higher number leads to faster acceleration, as well as greater pulling power if you’re into towing. The thing is, just because an engine provides plenty of horsepower, that doesn’t mean it’s power efficient. A power-efficient engine will produce a ton of power from as small a capacity as possible, with a good example being a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Despite only having a smaller turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, Mitsubishi managed to extract up to 440 horsepower from the factory. By contrast, many large American V8s that were two or three times the size struggled to make half that decades earlier, making them quite power inefficient.
American automakers have progressed significantly since then, and the proof in the pudding is the new Hurricane inline-four engine shoehorned beneath the hood of the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Stellantis’ Hurricane 4 Turbo Uses Exotic Engineering To Produce Plenty Of Grunt
Jeep Hurricane 4 Turbo EngineJeep
The engine in question is named the Hurricane 4 Turbo, and is part of the same family as the Hurricane straight-six powerplant that has found success within the likes of the Dodge Charger. Wanting to enhance efficiency in a modern world obsessed with making cars as fuel-efficient and clean as possible, Stellantis’ engineers had their work cut out developing a new powerplant that would kick out enough firepower to get big beasts like the Grand Cherokee moving at a decent pace, but also without drinking fuel like a thirsty hippo. Oh yeah, it also had to be compact to keep the car’s weight low and interior space intact.
Stellantis Hurricane 4 Turbo
Configuration
2.0L turbocharged I4
Material
Aluminum
Bore x Stroke
3.3 x 3.5 inches
Power
324 hp
Torque
332 lb-ft
The 2.0-liter turbocharged Hurricane 4 Turbo was the result, and one of the main technological elements Stellantis’ engineers focused on was called Turbulent Jet Ignition, or TJI. First seen in the Maserati MC20 Nettuno back in 2020, the tech involves each cylinder making use of two spark plugs, rather than the traditional single component. Plus, a TJI-equipped engine uses extra fuel injectors placed further up in the intake, which work alongside the ones included in each cylinder.
In addition, along the top of each combustion chamber sits a little cup-shaped section that features the extra spark plug and a fuel injector, which essentially functions as a second combustion chamber. A small amount of fuel is sent inside to ignite the chamber, which allows for a more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture.
As the engine makes use of both port fuel injection and high-pressure direct fuel injection, it can use either or both together when needed to enhance efficiency and power. Other benefits include faster engine warm-up when cold, as well as reduced vibrations at low revs. TJI offers the best of both worlds, and allows the engine to benefit from the advantages of both types of fuel injection when needed.
Its Turbo Is Also Intelligent
Stellantis Hurricane 4 EngineStellantis
While TJI helps the Hurricane Turbo 4 produce an impressive amount of grunt and fuel efficiency for its size, there’s another force at play. The powerful turbocharger can provide the engine with a commanding 35 psi of boost, while also utilizing Variable Geometry Technology. This involves electronically controlled vanes within the unit controlling the exhaust gases flowing through it in real time, which can help improve torque and responsiveness of the turbo at low revs. The technology was developed by Porsche, and was first seen on the 2006 Porsche 997 Turbo.
The tech also means the component can be smaller, ensuring crucial space and weight can be saved.
The Smart Hurricane 4 Affords Its Host Strong Power
Stellantis Hurricane 4 EngineStellantis
Having got the sciency stuff out of the way, now we can look at the juicy numbers. Thanks to the combined efforts of the active turbo technology and TJI, the Hurricane 4 Turbo managed to pump out 324 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque from its modest 2.0-liter capacity. This is an excellent amount of grunt for such a compact powerplant, with the engine able to power the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee to 0-60 mph in a spritely 5.4 seconds.
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That’s not bad at all for a practical SUV that weighs comfortably over 4,200 lbs. Plus, it thoroughly leaves its 3.6-liter V6 predecessor with a considerable black eye, since the heavier and larger unit can only muster 293 hp and 257 lb-ft of torque. Or, in other words, around 30 hp and 75 lb-ft short of the Hurricane 4 Turbo. In real world terms, this translates to a 0-60 mph sprint effort of just 7.4 seconds, a full two seconds adrift of the Hurricane-equipped model.
To further rub salt in the wound, the Hurricane is also more fuel-efficient. While the V6 can manage a combined 22 MPG under the hood of a Grand Cherokee, the Hurricane provides an average of 23 MPG in the same machine. Whichever way you look at it, Stellantis’ small-but-mighty four-pot is a very impressive piece of engineering compared to the relatively old-fashioned Pentastar V6.
The Hurricane 4 Turbo Is More Power Efficient Than A Lambo
2019 Lamborghini Urus Front ViewLamborghini
And we’re not done with the figures yet, either. Due to the Hurricane producing so much power from such little displacement, it gets the better of some pretty big hitters when it comes to outright power efficiency. By dividing the engine’s 324 hp by its 2.0-liter displacement, you get a figure of 162 hp per liter, which puts it clear of even the Lamborghini Urus. The Italian stallion kicks out a total of 641 hp from its turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, which leaves it with a final result of just 160 hp per liter.
Hurricane 4 Turbo Power Efficiency Versus Other Engines
Hurricane 2.0L 4 Turbo
162 hp per liter
Audi 4.0L Twin-Turbo
160.25 hp per liter
Lamborghini Urus 4.0L V8
160 hp per liter
Toyota 1.6L I3 (2020-2023)
160 hp per liter
Porsche 4.0L H6
125.5 hp per liter
Stellantis Hellcat 6.2L V8
114 hp per liter
By the same token, the Hurricane 4 Turbo is also more power efficient than the turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-three found in earlier pre-2024 examples of the Toyota GR Yaris, which makes 160 hp per liter thanks to its peak 257-hp output. Seeing that it’s one of the most highly regarded hot hatch engines ever produced, Stellantis has done well to get the better of it.
Stellantis’ New Turbo Four Pot Can Claim Another Considerable Scalp
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk has 707 hp in the game… and a full track mode, and launch control. It shares its supercharged HEMI V8 engine with a bunch of cars, including the Dodge Challenger Demon.Jeep
It’s funny how different numbers can completely skew your perception of an engine, as the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk illustrates. It’s the most rabid creation that Jeep has ever produced, with its supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat engine affording it a supercar-threatening 707 hp. This is a huge amount of power for a practical SUV like a Grand Cherokee to hide within its relatively sensible styling, but even then, it can’t get anywhere near its newer sibling in terms of power efficiency.
The Hellcat manages a power-per-liter figure of just 114 hp, nearly 50 hp adrift of the number the Hurricane 4 Turbo puts down. There’s no contest when it comes to the level of noise and drama that either unit kicks out, but if you want the most power and fuel efficiency for your money, the clever Hurricane 4 Turbo takes some serious beating.
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The Hurricane 4 Will Soon Be Available In Plenty Of Stellantis Offerings
Ram Dakota Nightfall concept for South AmericaRam
Should the impressive figures produced by the Hurricane 4 Turbo sound like a party to which you’d love to secure an invite, you may need to hold your horses for a short while. The engine is so new that it’s currently only available in a single model, the 2026 Grand Cherokee. The powerplant debuted in the Jeep SUV for the 2026 model year, and Stellantis has simply been unable to launch any other model featuring it just yet.
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That’ll change for the 2027 model year, though, as you’ll be able to get the engine slotted under the hood of the smaller Jeep Cherokee, essentially a compact crossover variant of the Grand Cherokee. Given it’ll be smaller and lighter than its bigger sibling, we’ll be very interested in how it gets down the road. The key year to look out for at the moment is 2028, when no less than five new models will supposedly be made available with the Hurricane unit.
Off-road enthusiasts will be able to have a Jeep Wrangler packing it, while those after a pickup truck can get the upcoming Ram Dakota with a Hurricane 4 Turbo under the hood. Should you want a more upmarket vehicle gracing your everyday life, Chrysler’s resurgence will begin with the Airflow compact crossover, and it too is set to make use of the powerplant. The engine is essentially the replacement for the venerable Pentastar V6, so expect it to feature in pretty much everything Stellantis sells before too long.
Judging by the level of power and fuel efficiency it’s capable of, that’s very far from a bad thing.
Sources: Jeep, Lamborghini.
