Reveals of new vehicles dominate the headlines during the preview of the Detroit auto show, but several industry events make it a busy week.
The annual WardsAuto event that distributes awards to honorees of its 10 Best Engines program is a must-do for members of the FCA US Powertrain group.
At least one FCA engine has been included in the Wards 10 Best Engines list every year since 2011, and winning engines stretch all the way to the first honoree in 1999, the 4.7-liter SOHC V-8 from the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The streak continued this year with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 hybrid propulsion system that’s used in the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. Mated with the FCA US innovation eFlite electrically variable transmission, the Pacifica Hybrid powertrain delivers up to 33 miles of driving range on its battery pack and is rated by the Environmental Protection Agency at 84 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe).
Accepting the honor for FCA was Mike Duhaime, Global Director – Electrified Powertrain Propulsion Systems. Here’s a video from the event:
“FCA’s powertrain engineers did all the hard work to make the first plug-in hybrid minivan a success,” WardsAuto Senior Content Director Drew Winter said. “They not only reworked the V-6 engine for a hybrid application, but undertook in-house development of an innovative transmission capable of effectively coordinating power from two electric motors and the gasoline engine.”
Keeping the Wards 10 Best Engines streak alive is one of our goals.
