Jaguar made the move that some of us knew was sort of inevitable but were secretly also hoping wouldn’t happen. But now that it’s here, at least it’ll make the British sports car that little bit more accessible to buyers.
Naturally, we’re talking about the new powerplant entrant in the 2018 F-Type range that was announced at the 2017 New York Motor Show, a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit from JLR’s new Ingenium range of motors. They’re rather proud of it, as the high-tech and efficient Ingenium (either as a petrol or diesel) will permeate every model under from Land Rover and Jaguar. Prior to its new home, the Ingenium engines can be found in the Jaguar XE, F-Pace, and XF.
It’s paired solely with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission and uses technologies such as twin-scroll turbocharging, integrated exhaust manifold, and an electrohydraulic valvetrain to be as extract the most power out of its relatively small displacement as efficiently as possible.
In the F-Type, the unit develops 220kW and an impressive 400Nm of torque, bringing it close to output parity with the step-up engine, the supercharged 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre V6. The larger engine a tad more powerful but also heavier, heavier (by 52kg over the 2.0L) and less fuel efficient but sounds better.
Boasting what could be in some countries a much less expensive car to tax and run day to day, the new entry-level F-Type can now be considered as a proper competitor to the Audi TTS, which also uses a 2.0-litre turbo four with roughly the same power. Jaguar’s own numbers claim that 100km/h from rest comes up in 5.7 seconds while top speed is electronically capped at 250km/h.
Pricing wise, Jaguar cited $60k US Dollars for the Coupe (pricing for the Convertible is still unconfirmed), the least expensive F-Type also butt heads with the BMW Z4 sDrive 35i and the non-S Porsche 718 Boxster.
Just like the rest of the range, this turbocharged F-Type will wear the updated front fascia with full-LED headlights and be available with new paint and wheel options. Interior and tech updates for the mild facelift are detailed here, still as pretty as ever. Differentiating it from the rest of the range is as easy as spotting the single centre exhaust at the rear - the V6 and V8-powered variants feature dual or quad exhaust exits, respectively.
For more on Jaguar vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
