4 Cars Powered By The 3.0 Hurricane Engine

After the third-generation model launched in 2003, Chrysler's characterful HEMI engine became quite ubiquitous. The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon had the super-potent, 840-hp 6.2 Demon engine. The Dodge Charger, Challenger, Ram 1500 TRX, and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk offered the heavyweight Hellcat engine, while the likes of the Dodge Durango SRT, Challenger Scat Pack, and Charger Scat Pack derived motivation from the 392 HEMI. 

Sadly, with the need to reduce car emissions remaining a pressing issue, Stellantis decided to gradually phase out the Gen III HEMI V8. In its place, the company debuted the 3.0 Hurricane engine in 2022. At launch, the twin-turbo, inline six-cylinder engine was hailed by the automaker as being 15% more efficient than big displacement engines due to its smaller displacement and advanced technologies like the engine stop-start function. 

Despite its small size, the Hurricane engine happens to be a huge horsepower behemoth that can be had in two levels of potency — a standard output (SO) version that generates 420 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque, and a high-output setup with up to 540 horses and 521 lb-ft. Now that it has established itself in the mainstream, Stellantis aims to make the Hurricane engine its new versatile, go-to gasoline powerplant like the HEMI once was. But only a handful of its models have it so far. Here's a look at the current 3.0 Hurricane engine cars.

After 30 years of being away from American showrooms, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer sprung up in 2021 ahead of the 2022 model year. The launch model featured a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. However, toward the end of the 2022 model year, buyers were offered a high-output version of the 3.0-liter Hurricane inline six-cylinder engine as a $2,000 option.

For 2023, the Hurricane engine became standard on all but the entry-level Series I Grand Wagoneer, which continued to offer the 471-hp HEMI V8. The Hurricane inline-six develops some 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft, funneled to the wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. In Car and Driver's testing, an extended-wheelbase 2023 Grand Wagoneer L with the 3.0 Hurricane engine offered a zero-to-60 mph time of just 4.7 seconds.

Jeep discontinued the HEMI V8 as part of changes for 2024, leaving the 3.0 Hurricane inline six-cylinder as the only engine choice. But the automaker was far from done, and increased the 3.0 Hurricane engine's horsepower to 540 horses for the 2025 model year.

The uber-luxurious Grand Wagoneer wasn't the only Jeep Wagoneer to get the 3.0 Hurricane engine. The relatively value-focused Jeep Wagoneer got in on the act for the 2023 model year, when the standard-output Hurricane twin-turbo became available to buyers as an alternative to the mild-hybrid 5.7-liter HEMI V8 that debuted with the full-size SUV back in 2021. The Hurricane engine was offered on all Wagoneer trims except for the Series I Wagoneer, producing 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque – an increase of 28 horsepower and 64 pound-feet over the HEMI's output of 392 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque.

With its focus now on the 3.0 Hurricane engine, Jeep decided to discontinue the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 following the 2023 model year. Consequently, the Hurricane inline six-cylinder has become the Wagoneer's sole means of propulsion since the 2024 model year. And, when equipped, the 3.0 Hurricane engine allows the Wagoneer to tow up to 10,000 pounds. Fuel economy is also decent for a full-size SUV. 2WD Jeep Wagoneer models return up to 17 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg in combined city-highway driving, according to the EPA. 4WD Wagoneer models are capable of 16 mpg in city driving, 23 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg on average.

Ram's half-ton truck is another 3.0 Hurricane engine-powered vehicle you can buy in 2025. It comes as a part of a mid-cycle refresh for the current fifth-generation full-size pickup that has been on sale since 2019, after Ram dropped the previous HEMI V8 following the 2024 model year. Here, the Hurricane engine is available with two power options.

The high-output, 540-hp, 521 lb-ft version is standard in Ram 1500 RHO, Tungsten, Limited, and Limited Longhorn grades. The standard-output variant, meanwhile, is equipped as standard in Laramie, Rebel, and Warlock trims but optional in lower trims like Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, and Bighorn, which have the 305-horsepower Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine right out of the box. Models equipped with the Hurricane turbo sixes are paired with an eight-speed automatic 8HP75 transmission, while the Pentastar V6 is mated to an eight-speed automatic 850RE transmission.

The 2025 Ram 1500 is tow-rated at 11,550 pounds max, but you'll need the standard-output 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six engine to unlock that much capability. The high-output variant has a maximum towing capacity of 9,920 pounds. Maximum payload rating for the regular 3.0 Hurricane engine is 1,980 pounds, while the high-output mill can carry a payload of up to 1,520 pounds. The 3.6-liter V6's towing capacity is limited to 8,110 pounds, with its payload rated at 2,370 pounds.

While very little has been heard of the Challenger since Dodge discontinued the gas-powered Charger and Challenger muscle cars at the end of the 2023 model year, the combustion-powered Charger is gearing up for a revival in the summer of 2025. SlashGear previously reported on plans by Dodge to bring back the gas-powered Charger to its lineup, which currently only consists of the electric Charger Daytona R/T and Charger Daytona Scat Pack.

Addressing the audience at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in New Orleans this past January, Stellantis confirmed the Dodge Charger Sixpack remains on course. The gasoline-run is due to feature the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six as the sole engine, with the standard-output variant generating 420 horsepower, as it does in other cars. As for the high-output version, power is billed to reach 550 hp. Both engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.