A new powertrain is about to find itself under the hood of some of Stellantis’ most popular models from the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) side of the company in Europe. Stellantis engineers have continued to work on a new variant of the company’s FireFly or Global Small Engine (GSE) family, with a mild-hybrid (mHEV) system to meet the ongoing increasing regulations throughout the globe.
The FireFly engines have been successful in vehicles like the Jeep® Renegade, Compass, and Fiat 500X. The turbocharged 1.3-liter direct-injection inline-four-cylinder produces 177 horsepower and 210 lb.-ft. of torque and has proved itself since 2018, when it was first introduced to the market under the hood of the Renegade. Since then, the 1.3-liter became part of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain for the Renegade and Compass 4xe.
In 2020, we learned more about the updates to the GSE family thanks to the Unione Italiana Lavoratori Metalmeccanici (UILM), the Italian metalworkers union. In updated contracts, the UILM said that the Stellantis plant in Termoli would produce 1.0-liter and new 1.5-liter versions of its GSE engine family.
In a series of spy photos from our friends at GabetzSPYUnit, several Renegade and Compass testers have been caught with a new turbocharged 1.5-liter with mHEV system in their engine bays. Stickers placed on the exterior windows have confirmed the new engine in those testers and with the “lightning bolt” decals on the windshields of the vehicle and lack of a charging port door, we know these are the new mHEV vehicles due out in the first half of 2022.
To help seperate these models from the rest of the lineup, these Renegade and Compass models will carry an all-white “e” logo on the left side of there hatches. We seen a similar logo on the tailgate of the PHEV version of the updated Chinese-exclusive Grand Commander, which does not offer four-wheel-drive (4×4) with the electrified package, thus designating the “e” instead of “4xe”.
The new turbocharged 1.5-liter mHEV engine, according to our sources, the mHEV will feature a Belt Starter Generator (BSG), a 48-volt battery pack, and a new 7-speed automatic hybrid transmission. The transmission is more than likely the one we talked about in a pervious article, and sourced from German supplier, Getrag. The transmission should be an updated version of Getrag’s 7DCT300 transmission (shown above). The transmission is expected to feature an integrated electric motor capable of 15 to 25 kW of power on a 48-volt mHEV system with the possibility of running on just electric power alone (up to 80 mph).
We can’t wait to see the finalized specifications on this new powertrain. The new powertrain will be launched in Europe sometime during the first half of the year. But don’t expect to see it just yet in North America, our sources say the new mHEV powertrain will be exclusive to the European market for now.
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