Jeep Wrangler: No Pentastar V6 Until 2012

Chrysler Group's new Pentastar V6 family engine is set to appear in 13 new and updated models, but the popular Wrangler models won't see the new powerplant until 2012, CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

Speaking at the company's third-quarter sales announcement in the US this week, Marchionne said that both the two-door Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited will gain the company's new 209kW 3.6 litre V6 with the badge's next update.

The news follows the unveiling in August of the updated-for-2011 Wrangler range, due in Australia early next year. With a US-market launch set for 2012, an Australian debut for the Pentastar-powered Wrangler may not come until 2013.

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Strictly a styling and trim update, including a massively overhauled interior, the 2011 Wrangler continues to draw power from the existing 146kW 3.8 litre petrol and 130kW 2.8 litre diesel engines.

Chrysler is also planning new versions of the Pentastar engine, developed to accommodate displacements from 3.0 to 4.0 litres.

In Australia, the first Chrysler Group model to feature the new engine will likely be the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, scheduled for a local debut in February next year.