New Jeep 2.0-liter turbo four makes more power, better fuel economy
Last November, Jeep debuted its new Global Medium Engine (GME) family 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the 2023 Compass. Out went the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder Tigershark with 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, in came the GME 2.0-liter making 200 hp and 221 lb-ft. The mill is a detuned version of the engine also powering the 2023 Jeep Cherokee and the 2023 Dodge Hornet. In the Cherokee, the turbo four makes 271 hp and 268 lb-ft, the Hornet comes in a whisper behind at 268 hp with the same torque. In the two Jeeps, product planners eliminated the front-wheel drive Compass and Cherokee trims with the new engine’s intro, but we finally have some EPA fuel economy ratings to compare what’s left over.
The less powerful 2.4-liter Tigershark in the 2022 Jeep Compass 4WD returned 22 miles per gallon in the city, 30 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg combined. The 2023 Jeep Compass 4WD with the GME returns 24 city, 32 highway, 27 combined. More power and a two-mpg improvement across the board, nothing wrong with that. The good news is that the EPA estimates annual fuel costs to be $150 lower with the new engine. The bad news is that thanks to the Compass’ MSRP increasing by a minimum of $605, it would take at least four years before beginning to rack up fuel savings.
In a Cherokee lineup reduced to two trims, the Altitude Lux makes do with the 2.4-liter Tigershark. The Trailhawk 4WD, previously only available with the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 making 271 hp and 239 lb-ft, is now only available with the 2.0-liter. Its fuel economy improvement is a wee bit less dramatic than in the Compass, as it maintains the same power while adding torque. The Cherokee goes from 18 city, 24 highway and 21 combined with the Pentastar to 20 city, 26 highway and 22 combined with the GME. The EPA’s estimate of $100 in annual fuel costs would need 37.5 years to start registering thanks to the Cherokee Trailhawk costing $3,750 more than in 2022.
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