It’s not the engine you’d want for rock crawling, but it’s just the ticket to please commuters and the Environmental Protection Agency.

A source tells Automotive News that a high-output 2.0-liter four-cylinder under development by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will first appear as an option on the next-generation Jeep Wrangler.

The aluminum block engine is code-named Hurricane (a nod to Jeep’s engine heritage), and is said to make in the neighborhood of 300 horsepower, with torque figures being anyone’s guess.

Produced at FCA’s Trenton Engine Complex alongside the Pentastar V6, the new mill reportedly features direct injection, variable valve timing and a twin-scroll turbocharger.

The new engine is one of several ways FCA plans to make the next-generation Wrangler — due to appear next year as a 2018 model — friendlier in the area of fuel consumption. A myriad of engine choices are rumored to join the lineup, including a diesel and hybrid, but a turbo four seems the likeliest bet for Day 1 availability.

The capable Pentastar returns as the model’s mainstay engine.

Other mileage-making efforts include adding an optional eight-speed automatic transmission and adopting lighter aluminum architecture. Any advances in the area of aerodynamics will have to be subtle, as the Wrangler’s traditional boxy shape is revered nearly as much as the U.S. Constitution.

Offend the Jeep purists, and you’ve got a revolution on your hands.

[Image: FCA US LLC]