Which Jeep Models Have The Chrysler 3.6L Pentastar Engine Under The Hood?

The Pentastar family of V6 engines have been a staple of cars produced by Stellantis since the 2011 model year. This is the company behind brands like Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram. These engines come in a variety of different sizes and engine displacements, and they are remarkably versatile in what vehicles they get put into. Stellantis has placed Pentastar engines in many of the company's most popular vehicles, ranging from the Ram 1500 pickup truck to the Dodge Charger sedan.

When it first hit the market for the 2011 model year, only one size was available, a 3.6L V6. Subsequently, Stellantis introduced 3.0L and 3.2L models, but the 3.6L has been the most used. That remains true to this day, and it's the standard issue engine for many models. However, that isn't always the case. 

Take one of the brands owned by Stellantis, Jeep. While this was the first brand to ever feature the 3.6L Pentastar V6 under the hood of one of its vehicles, it isn't available across its whole line, even when you might think it would be. For instance, the Jeep Wagoneer comes with a 3.0L I6 engine, rather than a V6. So, if you are looking to find a Jeep that comes with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine, this guide will help you. It will also show you how this particular engine doesn't have a universal power output across the Jeep arsenal.

The first vehicle that Stellantis put a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine into was the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it has remained a part of the SUV's engine lineup ever since. The Grand Cherokee has undergone quite a transformation over the last 14 years of production, and the power output of the Pentastar has changed right along with it. When it was introduced at the onset of the SUV's fourth generation — known as the WK2 — it immediately became the standard engine for most trims of the Grand Cherokee, from the Laredo to the Limited to the High Altitude. For the SRT high-performance versions, the company instead used a 6.4L Hemi V8 engine.

With the 3.6L Pentastar V6, this generation of Grand Cherokee was able to generate up to 295 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. That would continue through the 2022 model year, which was when the fourth generation came to an end. Just because the fifth generation started doesn't mean that the Pentastar was done in the Grand Cherokee. While the torque output remains 260 lb-ft, the fourth generation did that at 4,800 RPM, whereas the fifth can do so at 4,000 RPM. Though it is within the margin of error, the horsepower rating took a slight dip to 293 hp. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 is the default engine for every single trim of the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with the exception of the 4xe variations.

One year after it was introduced, Stellantis started rapidly expanding what vehicles used the 3.6L Pentastar V6. For Jeep, the next one in line was the Wrangler. Unlike the Grand Cherokee, the Wrangler didn't get a brand-new generation to launch with the Pentastar. It had just entered its third generation, known as the JK model, in the 2007 model year, which used a 3.8L EGH V6 engine that produced 202 hp and 237 lb-ft of torque.

Stellantis was switching everything over to the Pentastar engines, and the Wrangler was part of that switch for the 2012 model year. Like the Grand Cherokee, it remains the base engine for the SUV. Despite having a slightly smaller engine displacement than its predecessor, the 3.6L Pentastar V6 generated a good deal more power. 

However, the power ratings were slightly different from that of the Grand Cherokee. The power output was increased to 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The Wrangler went through a generation upgrade for the 2017 model year, carrying the Pentastar with it. The power ratings remained the same, despite the redesign. The Wrangler also comes with 4xe trim options, and that is the only way the Pentastar does not power this vehicle.

Even though Stellantis quickly put the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine in many vehicles, Jeep as a brand did not see widespread adoption of it. Outside of the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, it was not present again for many years. The closest it got was putting a 3.2L V6 in the Cherokee starting with the 2014 model, which coincided with the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler getting 3.0L variations in China. It was not until the 2020 model year that another Jeep would get the 3.6L Pentastar V6, the Jeep Gladiator.

While the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler had long histories prior to Pentastar, the Gladiator pickup truck was a brand-new vehicle for the company. Jeep chose to launch this with that 3.6L V6 engine. The Gladiator is based off the same platform as the Wrangler, essentially making it a pickup version of the popular SUV, so it makes sense why Jeep would make this move.

It also explains why the Gladiator has the same power output numbers as the Wrangler, with 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. There is no 4xe trim for the pickup truck, so the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is the engine you are getting across the board. Jeep used to offer the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 as an option, but now that Stellantis has discontinued the EcoDiesel brand, the Pentastar is the only engine you can get. Thankfully, it is an engine that has held up for over a decade.