No, it doesn't have a Hemi - Chrysler to expand use of new four-banger
Faced with the effect of rising fuel costs and blessed with a capable new line of four-cylinder "World Engines", Chrysler has stated that it will expand its offerings of vehicles with smaller motors - a drastic departure from the Hemi proliferation that has brought the automaker showroom success.
Currently, the automaker offers I4s in four vehicles, with another two on the way by the end of this year, but Chrysler is said to be considering adding an option for one in other models that now offer nothing smaller than a V6. One such model may be the 2007 Jeep Wrangler, which is currently available in the US with only a V6 despite a long history of offering a standard I4. Chrysler also limited four-banger availability in its minivan line-up.
[Source: Bloomberg via Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SIP YEK NOD 7:22AM (6/18/2006)
they have a fairly simple strategy there don't they. 6 months ago they were "hemiing" everything, now they are going to start "hyundaiing" everything.
on the plus side, in 10 years, you will be able to take your four banger 300c to a junk yard and pry parts off any ol dodge, hyundai, or mitsu
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Mike G 7:57AM (6/18/2006)
They should offer a FOUR CYLINDER DIESEL, then you would have greater fuel efficiency + greater power = happy people.
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JJ 9:12AM (6/18/2006)
I really dont consider the trucks and cars they have V8's in HEMIing EVERYTHING.
Lets see they ahve in in the LX series (all the same car really), The Ram, The Commander and for whatever reason the Grand Cherokee. So really thats only 4 model lines they ahve it in. Not a big deal.
Since when did they say they're gonna make a I4 300?
Out of all the cars that have the "Hemi" (since its really just a marketing tool if anything, despite it being a nice engine). THe only one i dont understand in the Grand Cherokee... the cOmmander can get away with it cuz its a big car, i just never understood the reasoning for the GC. Outside of that i have no problems with V8 proliferation.
But the new I4 aint a bad engine, test drove a couple of Calibers back when the place i worked first got them, not myc up of tea, but not bad cars at all. I guess that's evidenced by the fact that we cant keep any in at all. I'm actually a bit surprised they're selling so well.
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GhostDoggy 9:42AM (6/18/2006)
I'm waiting for them to drop those I4's into Ram2500, Jeep Grand Wagoneers, and the Viper.
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goat 9:59AM (6/18/2006)
How about a diesel I-4 in the U.S.?
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SIP YEK NOD 10:03AM (6/18/2006)
"Since when did they say they're gonna make a I4 300?"
they didn't......yet
it does seem like a logical step. the 170hp 2.4l I4 should replace the 190hp 2.7l v6 at the low end for the sake of simplicity. why keep a, lets face it, bad V6 in the line-up when it can be replaced with a well engineered I4
and by "hemi everything", i mean everything big enough to stick it in. their trucks, large cars, all their SUVs(the aspen is butt fugly, but that is another topic) afterall, likely 80% of the hemi Cs will run on 4 cylinders for the majority of their life.
would seem like a logical step
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dakota 10:18AM (6/18/2006)
"on the plus side, in 10 years, you will be able to take your four banger 300c to a junk yard and pry parts off any ol dodge, hyundai, or mitsu"
The LX series will not see a 4 cylinder model, only the midsize Avenger and Sebring is as high as it will go. Might see a 4 cylinder Wrangler come back into play also. But the development cost to make the 2.4 match up to the 42RE or the W5A580 isn't going to fly. Their best option is just to drop the 2.7L and make the 3.5 standard was in the Charger (Fleet Cars get the 2.7L standard), and make the 5 speed auto standard
As far as the Grand Cherokee....the question is Why not? It's an option and if you don't want it then don't get it. Back in the day Jeep offered a 5.9L Limited model and people were not complaining. The Commander is just a stretched (by not much) Grand Cherokee anyways, just with a new skin.
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Stphane Dumas 10:31AM (6/18/2006)
For putting a I4 under the 300C, I hope it got also enough torque. Come to think of it,it's strange then no one experimented a V4 car like Lancia, Ford of Europe and Saab did http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V4 althought the V4 is more popular for motorcycles and outboard engines. Imagine GM creating a V4 originated from the small-block Chevy or the Northstar, like the V6 Buick who got its origins from the V8 Buick. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V6_engine
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joe 11:48AM (6/18/2006)
Mercedes puts 4cyl engines in the european market E-class. I don't see why they couldn't do the same here with the 300/Magnum twins. The way gas prices are going it would be stupid of them not to.
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Dennis 12:03PM (6/18/2006)
The LX is based on the previous gen Merc E class, which was available as an E200 with a 2l I4 in some parts of the world, so not really a stretch at all.
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MikeW 12:20PM (6/18/2006)
How upsizing the transmission?
The W5a580K, and 42RE both are obsolete.
Make the 7g-tronic in kokomo, indiana. Fix up the 2.7 V6, add dual path intake manifold-like the 3.5(the 2.7 already has variable resonance) and dual exhaust (or at least dual mufflers) for a grand total of 205hp.
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MikeW 12:25PM (6/18/2006)
How about DCX drop the horrible 3.7/4.7 engines and replace with 'new' 4.0 V6 and something better than the 545RFE. That 'new' 6 speed automatic of their own design, perhaps.
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Nick 3:38PM (6/18/2006)
The problem with sites like this is people come in saying things that they have no idea about. Dennis: For the last time, the LX is not based on the E-class. Any quick page through a service manual or even rolling under the damn thing will tell you that many of the parts come from LH, most of it is pentastarred, and only the suspension and the transmission are from the Mercedes E-Class, and even the transmission is a customized copy and not right from the parts bin.
Friggin hell, people, if you're going to make blanket statements like that, do some research.
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ramsport47 9:15PM (6/18/2006)
Friggin hell, people, if you're going to make blanket statements like that, do some research.
They'd rather just bash
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iQuack 1:37AM (6/19/2006)
Some people who haven't driven a 4 cylinder car since the days of awful Pintos and Vegas don't know what they're missing.
There are some great 4 cylinder engines out there--especially those from Honda and Toyota. They're quick, smooth, and economical.
I've never regretted buying the 4 cyl. Accord ('04 EX-L) which is plenty fast and gets great mileage, too.
Anyone shopping for an new car should at least test drive a 4 before buying a V6 if a 4 is available.
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MikeW 10:39AM (6/19/2006)
There is more S-class in the LX than E-class.
The e-class had trailing link steering with a control arm suspension regardless of whether purely rear drive, or four wheel drive.
The s-class (2000+) had leadling link steering, with virtual lower axis steering (That is what the LX has), and the 4matic had trailing link steering, without the virtual axis lower control arm (Again this is what the LX has)
The e-class(pre 2003) and s-class(2000-2006) had the fuel tank high mounted behind the rear seats, not in the LX.
The c-class has a 5 link rear suspenion (non co-axial springs/dampers), so does the pacifica, are they the same?
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Mark Seagondollar 11:37AM (6/19/2006)
Yeah. Make it durable (like my 180,00 mile 1988 MR2), get me good gas mileage (again, MR2 - 38 MPG actual highway) and wrap the Dodge Razor around it.
I don't need 4 doors or 4 seats to get to work. Drive the gas prices down. It is, after all, supply and demand.
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tony belligerent 1:39PM (6/19/2006)
> I don't need 4 doors or 4 seats to get to work.
> Drive the gas prices down. It is, after all, supply and demand.
Then get a motorcycle/moped/unicycle. Idiot.
I don't need a 4banger 2seater to get to work and another bigger car to drive my family around. I'd rather make one car payment. Maybe a lawnmower engine in a plastic box with no legroom works for you, driving by yourself to McDonalds from your basement apartment, but it doesn't work for me. Stop telling me what I should drive.
HAND
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I Want a Jeep 2:31PM (6/19/2006)
I had a tj 4 banger, and it was so slow. I would never buy another, ever.
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David Thompson 3:38PM (6/19/2006)
The regular 2.4 in a 300C? No. The Caliber SRT-4's 300hp turbo 2.4 in a 300C? Yes. Just call it a '300T'.
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