Here is a brief history and some details about the Hornet’s 2.0 Hurricane4 engine. After 2013 FCA realized that they needed a replacement for the not-so-great 2.4 Tigershark engine used in many of their vehicles. That engine suffered from a haphazard re-design around 2013 and problems with excessive oil consumption and mediocre fuel economy. FCA had to pay a substantial class action lawsuit settlement due to the multitude of engine problems.
The replacement was the new 2.0 Hurricane4 turbocharged four. This engine was first offered as an option in the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, and the next year it was an option for the Jeep Cherokee. In the Cherokee it was paired with the FCA license-built ZF 9-speed transmission, either driving the front wheels or in a 4WD configuration. It sold well and was praised by most owners as a potent, reliable replacement for the old 2.4.
Interestingly, in the Jeep Wrangler the Hurricane4 was first offered as a “mild hybrid” engine using an electric motor with belt drive to start the engine and to work as an alternator. It helped the stop/start system and also provided some low-speed power before the turbo built enough boost to take over. Apparently, Jeep thought that this configuration would be good for low speed off-roading, but this version disappeared after a few years to be replaced by the gas engine alone.
According to an FCA press release, the Hurricane4 was designed by a US team of engineers and was based on the company’s global 2.0 GME engine. The Alfa Romeo 2.0 engine offered in the Guilia and Stelvio is sometimes mistakenly called the same engine as the Hurricane, but the two are somewhat different. Both use the same block, but the heads are completely different with the Alfa using a single overhead camshaft and the Dodge using a twin-cam head. Other differences include a completely different variable valve timing arrangement, different computer programming and slightly different internals resulting in about 10 more horsepower and an additional 11 lb-ft of torque for the Italian design. In spite of the overhead cams, neither engine was designed for high rpm and both are redlined below 6000 rpm.
The original Hurricane4 was listed as producing 270 horsepower at 5250 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque at 3000 rpm, but this was slightly downgraded for the Hornet at 268 horsepower. What actually changed is not known but two horsepower is not noticeable to anyone driving with either engine.
Following the trend of many modern turbocharged engines, the Hurricane4 has the exhaust manifold cast in the head, allowing faster warmup for pollution reduction and also providing easier cooling for the turbo. An air-to-water heat exchanger/intercooler on the head cools the incoming air, increasing turbo efficiency and engine power while reducing the piping found in the more common air-to-air intercoolers.
One issue with many small turbocharged engines is turbo life due to excessive heat soak after the engine is shut down. The Hurricane addresses this by using an auxiliary water pump to circulate water through the turbo and throttle body after the engine is shut off.
In the Hornet the engine feels somewhat more aggressive, likely due to the lack of the torque management supplied in the Jeep version. Torque management is a reduction in spark advance and thus power when the transmission senses a certain torque output, assumed to be used to protect the transmission from damage. This was a complaint among some Cherokee owners since the 9-speed ZF transmission is rated up to 350 lb-ft of torque, well below the output of the Hurricane. Fortunately the Hornet does not use torque management and the difference felt in driving the two is obvious.
The Hurricane4 has been manufactured in both Italy and in the US. For example, my 2019 Cherokee’s engine was built in the US, while my Hornet’s engine was made in Italy.
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The replacement was the new 2.0 Hurricane4 turbocharged four. This engine was first offered as an option in the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, and the next year it was an option for the Jeep Cherokee. In the Cherokee it was paired with the FCA license-built ZF 9-speed transmission, either driving the front wheels or in a 4WD configuration. It sold well and was praised by most owners as a potent, reliable replacement for the old 2.4.
Interestingly, in the Jeep Wrangler the Hurricane4 was first offered as a “mild hybrid” engine using an electric motor with belt drive to start the engine and to work as an alternator. It helped the stop/start system and also provided some low-speed power before the turbo built enough boost to take over. Apparently, Jeep thought that this configuration would be good for low speed off-roading, but this version disappeared after a few years to be replaced by the gas engine alone.
According to an FCA press release, the Hurricane4 was designed by a US team of engineers and was based on the company’s global 2.0 GME engine. The Alfa Romeo 2.0 engine offered in the Guilia and Stelvio is sometimes mistakenly called the same engine as the Hurricane, but the two are somewhat different. Both use the same block, but the heads are completely different with the Alfa using a single overhead camshaft and the Dodge using a twin-cam head. Other differences include a completely different variable valve timing arrangement, different computer programming and slightly different internals resulting in about 10 more horsepower and an additional 11 lb-ft of torque for the Italian design. In spite of the overhead cams, neither engine was designed for high rpm and both are redlined below 6000 rpm.
The original Hurricane4 was listed as producing 270 horsepower at 5250 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque at 3000 rpm, but this was slightly downgraded for the Hornet at 268 horsepower. What actually changed is not known but two horsepower is not noticeable to anyone driving with either engine.
Following the trend of many modern turbocharged engines, the Hurricane4 has the exhaust manifold cast in the head, allowing faster warmup for pollution reduction and also providing easier cooling for the turbo. An air-to-water heat exchanger/intercooler on the head cools the incoming air, increasing turbo efficiency and engine power while reducing the piping found in the more common air-to-air intercoolers.
One issue with many small turbocharged engines is turbo life due to excessive heat soak after the engine is shut down. The Hurricane addresses this by using an auxiliary water pump to circulate water through the turbo and throttle body after the engine is shut off.
In the Hornet the engine feels somewhat more aggressive, likely due to the lack of the torque management supplied in the Jeep version. Torque management is a reduction in spark advance and thus power when the transmission senses a certain torque output, assumed to be used to protect the transmission from damage. This was a complaint among some Cherokee owners since the 9-speed ZF transmission is rated up to 350 lb-ft of torque, well below the output of the Hurricane. Fortunately the Hornet does not use torque management and the difference felt in driving the two is obvious.
The Hurricane4 has been manufactured in both Italy and in the US. For example, my 2019 Cherokee’s engine was built in the US, while my Hornet’s engine was made in Italy.
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