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hereFrank Klegon, Executive Vice President – Product Development, announced a barrage of new initiatives targeted solely at improving the fuel efficiency of future Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles. This includes new engines, a V6 with cylinder deactivation, the automated manual ("dual-clutch") transmission, and another diesel, among other steps. Chrysler also announced that it is considering the creation of a brand new, in-house four cylinder diesel and greater use of the Bosch V6 diesels made by Mercedes.
A mild hybrid will be used in the next few years, allowing the vehicle to shut off its engine at stops without losing accessories, and also providing regenerative braking. This technology provides much of the benefit of a standard hybrid but with less weight. This is in addition to the two-mode hybrid transaxle developed with GM and BMW, which will start out in the Aspen and Durango (with Hemi), but will spread beyond those vehicles.
The 2009 Grand Cherokee will use a 50-state clean-diesel Cummins turbodiesel, rather than the Bosch/Mercedes V6. The Ram 1500 will also get a V6 diesel. Along with generous power and low-end torque, the new engine will provide up to 30-percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 20-percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to an equivalent gasoline engine.
The new Phoenix of V-6 engines will (as predicted by Allpar's oh20 and redriderbob) feature cylinder deactivation (MDS). Specifically, this means the engine will operate efficiently on three cylinders when less power is needed, and in V-6 mode when more power is needed. This optimizes fuel economy when V-6 power is not required – without sacrificing vehicle performance or capability.
The new family of V-6 engines will feature an aluminum die cast block, dual variable valve timing (VVT) and a two-stage oil pump, among other technologies. The end result is an expected across-the-board V-6 fuel efficiency improvement of six to eight percent – in addition to new levels of V-6 power, performance and refinement.
For 2009, Chrysler Group will deliver a significantly upgraded version of its renowned 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, resulting in notable gains in fuel efficiency, refinement, power and torque.
The new 4.7-liter V-8 offers up to five percent better fuel economy than the previous 4.7-liter engine.
At the same time, this E85 flex-fuel engine delivers increased performance and improved refinement. These improvements come from the 4.7-lter V-8’s two spark plugs per cylinder (the only Chrysler Group engine to do so, other than the 5.7-liter HEMI®), increased compression ratio, improved cylinder-head port flow and new combustion system.
In addition to improved fuel economy, the result is a 30-percent increase in horsepower and a 10-percent increase in torque (up to 75 additional horsepower and 35 more lb.-ft. of torque, depending on application) compared with the previous 4.7-liter V-8 engine.
A new automated manual (dual-clutch) transmission – developed in partnership with Getrag (based on many Chrysler patents) – will be used in significant volumes in 2010 model-year vehicles. The transmission is expected to deliver a fuel economy improvement of up to six percent, based on preliminary testing.
The new transmission is equipped with two independent lay-shaft style gear sets with separate clutches, using manual transmission-based components. During shifts, the next gear is anticipated and pre-selected. Then one clutch is opened while the other is closed, allowing shifting without torque interruption. The result is quicker acceleration and refined shift quality.
New common axle technology will result in fuel-economy and axle-efficiency gains, while providing weight savings, cost reduction, increased refinement and less complexity. New advanced materials increase overall axle strength and reduce package size. Already featured in the Chrysler 300C SRT8, this axle will soon move to other Chrysler Group vehicles.
Chrysler Group announced today that a new set of initiatives are in place to improve fuel efficiency across its vehicle lineup by at least five percent. These initiatives include weight reduction, aerodynamic drag improvements, reduced rolling resistance and brake drag, optimized accessory loads, and minimized drivetrain losses. Aerodynamic work on the new minivans allow them to maintain the same gas mileage despite added weight.
