FCA COO Mark Stewart, right, shows off the 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbo engine the Kokomo, Indiana plant will build.

Fiat Chrysler is following the advice of the vaunted Beach Boys and “go to Kokomo” and invest $400 million to convert the idle transmission plant to build engines that used to be produced in Italy.

The Indiana plant will build the GMET4 engine, a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbo that currently powers the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Cherokee.

With this investment, 1,000 Indiana jobs will be retained with nearly 200 new jobs added to support production, FCA noted. The new facility will be the source of all U.S. production for the engine currently built in Termoli, Italy. Production is expected to begin in Q2 2021.

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COO Stewart tells he crowd at the Kokomo plant about the plans for the facility.

FCA North America Chief Operating Officer Mark Stewart broke the news at an event at the plant, which will be renamed Kokomo Engine Plant.

“The GMET4 will be a very important engine for us as we look to deliver on the promises we made as part of our five-year plan in 2018,” Stewart said.

“While the 2.0-liter is a current engine option on the Jeep Wrangler and Cherokee models, a significant number of new technologies can be applied to this engine, making it relevant for the future. It will play an important role in our plans to offer electric engine options across 30 nameplates that FCA will bring to markets around the world by 2022.”

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The 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine is part of FCA’s Global Medium Engine family. Identified as the GMET4, this high-tech, direct-injection engine uses a twin-scroll, low-inertia turbocharger mounted directly to the cylinder head, along with a dedicated cooling circuit for the turbocharger, intake air and throttle body for exceptional responsiveness, performance and fuel efficiency.

The $400 million investment in the Kokomo plant includes a new lobby for the plant.

The engine is fitted with double overhead camshafts, dual independent camshaft timing and cooled exhaust gas recirculation. Direct injection delivers fuel into the cylinder and, coupled with turbocharging, enables more efficient combustion, reduced emissions and increased performance.

The foundation of the engine is a low-pressure sand cast-aluminum block with cast-in iron cylinder liners and a cast aluminum alloy cylinder head. When equipped with the GMET4, the Jeep Cherokee can deliver over 30 mpg highway and provide outstanding off-road performance, while the Jeep Wrangler can deliver a rating of 24 mpg highway.

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Since 2009, FCA has invested nearly $2 billion in its four area plants to produce the eight- and nine-speed transmissions, however, the GMET4 will be the first engine built in the state, the company noted.