Remember when the best way to boost a vehicle's appeal was to install a V8 engine -- or a bigger V8 engine? At least it used to seem that way at Chrysler. But today the company that just a few years ago was trying to jam eight-cylinder Hemi engines under every hood, is betting on a V6.

The company says its new Pentastar V6, which it introduced in Jeep division's new Grand Cherokee, will soon be in a total of 13 models. Chrysler is following the lead of several rivals from General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. to Honda Motor...