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Production of Stellantis' Pentastar V6 to Get Big Boost with $24.7 Million Investment

Despite the automotive world moving towards full electrification, Stellantis is still betting big on its Pentastar V6 engine, with the announcement of a sizable $24.7 million (22.7 million euro) investment in its Trenton plant in Michigan.
Stellantis invests in Trenton plant 9 photos
Photo: Stellantis
Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.Stellantis invests in Trenton plant, Michigan.
The Trenton facility is responsible for manufacturing the 3.6-liter naturally aspirated Pentastar V6 motor, which is capable of producing as much as 305 horsepower (227 kW) and 269 pound-feet (365 N.m) of torque; at least this is its top performance in the Ram 1500.

This particular engine, which is said to get an upgrade next year, has been a hit for Stellantis. It has been used as a standard engine across multiple brands under the Stellantis Group umbrella, including Ram, Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler, and production hit the 10 million units milestone in February 2019.

As it turns out, changes to the assembly factory include retooling of the Southern part to produce both the old Pentastar V6 motor and an upgraded engine variant, while the North production line will be decommissioned by the end of 2022 and the wing repurposed as a storage warehouse and other non-production activities.

Though shutting a production line down could mean job cuts, Stellantis has not mentioned how many people could lose their jobs. The union is reportedly in talks with Stellantis regarding the transition of workers to other positions.

The upgraded Pentastar V6 is scheduled to be introduced by the end of the first quarter in 2023, but Stellantis says the current version will still be produced until the end of 2023.

Judging by this considerable investment, the motor will stick around for at least a few more years, despite the bosses of Stellantis committing to a Dare Forward 2030 plan.

According to this electrification plan, which was announced by Stellantis last March, fully electric vehicles should represent 100% of sales in Europe and 50 percent of sales in the US by 2030.
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About the author: Ancuta Iosub
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After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors.
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