As more about the super-secret Tornado I6 twin-turbocharged engine that Stellantis has developed keeps leaking, the more we’re intrigued. The latest comes from Jeep CEO Jim Morrison. The wait will be over when it is debuted at the New York Auto Show in April he said. 

Where will the Tornado I6 be shown?

This is the engine that will replace the 5.7-liter Hemi and its variants going forward. The I6 engine was expected in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but development times got stretched. Now, it looks like it will appear in the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer sitting on the NY Auto Show floor. 

Morrison told The Detroit Bureau it most likely will be found in Jeep’s extended wheelbase Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. This news came as the reporter asked about the fuel economy numbers for such large Jeep models. Hearing about a new, more economical engine sitting under the hood satisfied the reporter and readers alike. 

We told you in January about the turbo-six being developed for not only the Jeep brand, but for the Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler. Codenamed as GMET6 HO 3.0-liter six, that stands for Global Medium Engine Turbo 6 High-Output. We like the high-output part a lot.

The Tornado I6 engine’s same I4 bore-spacing keeps costs down

With bore-spacing is the same as the Stellantis GME I4 found in the Jeep Wrangler. With parts commonality, it keeps machining operations and fixtures changeovers unnecessary, making it cheaper to produce. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean we might see a straight-eight engine in the future. Or will we?

Since this engine will also find its way into existing Stellantis vehicles, there are some with shorter hoods that can’t accommodate the Tornado’s added length. That means the Pentastar V6 will stick around for that reason. It is not any longer than current four-cylinder engines. 

Why isn’t there more info on this engine available?

It should also get the eTorque mild hybrid system. It is unclear whether this will be a standard offering or an option. 

Stellantis has done a good job of keeping info about the engine out of the press. Especially when you consider that it has been in production since last November. We do know it will have around 400 hp. 

What about the 5.7-liter Hemi V8?

Production of the Tornado I6 engine is produced in the same factory in Saltillo, Mexico, as the 5.7-liter Hemi. It is expected that the engine will steadily ramp up production as the Hemi is phased out. The Ram 1500, Wrangler, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, and Wagoneer are all expected to receive the engine. When the new Challenger comes out-either in 2023 or 2024., it gets this engine too. 

Of course, this marks the end of big-displacement engines. And it also marks what is probably the last new engine that Stellantis will develop. It has pledged to be 40 percent BEV by 2030. In case you flunked math, that’s less than eight years from now. We suspect that engine development is going full-steam ahead in electrification.