Before Jeep goes electric like everyone else, it will begin the process of cutting displacement and cylinders from some of its older, thirstier engines; most notably, this means the popular but older Hemi V8 will eventually be phased out. The new 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbocharged engine known as the Hurricane was originally viewed as a replacement for the V8. Fortunately, the two engines will continue to coexist for the time being.

In the case of the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the Hurricane engine option was recently added, joining the existing 6.4-liter V8. Promising much better efficiency, the EPA has now released official gas mileage figures for the Hurricane to see if it lives up to expectations.

Indeed, the Hurricane engine is more efficient than its V8-powered sibling, but as this is still an exceedingly heavy vehicle, the smaller engine can only do so much. The 4x2 Grand Wagoneer with the new 3.0-liter returns 15/21/17 mpg city/highway/combined, compared to 13/19/15 mpg for the 4x2 V8. With 4x4, the Hurricane manages 14/20/17 mpg, better than the V8's 13/18/15 mpg.

According to the EPA, the 4x2 Grand Wagoneer with the Hurricane engine will cost $600 less in annual gas bills based on 15,000 miles per year. That saving doesn't make up for the fact that the Hurricane engine costs $2,000 more than the standard 6.4-liter V8. Then again, what's $2,000 for a vehicle that starts at nearly $90,000? Besides, looking at the Hurricane's outputs, it's clearly a better engine on paper.

The 6.4-liter V8 produces 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. That's not bad, but the Hurricane in this state of tune manages 510 hp and 500 lb-ft. Combined with its better efficiency, the Hurricane's advantages are obvious. The extra power and torque will make all the difference in a vehicle that weighs well over 6,000 pounds.

The Hurricane engine brings the Grand Wagoneer into line with the Lincoln Navigator which also uses a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine. It's expected that Jeep will introduce the standard-output Hurricane engine into both the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer at a later stage. For customers willing to give up that old-school V8 burble, the new engine undoubtedly makes the Grand Wagoneer a more competitive option in its segment.