Jaguar F-Type gets 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo engine in New York
Jaguar has chosen the 2017 New York Motor Show to expand the F-Type range downwards with new a 4-cylinder engine
Jaguar’s big news at the 2017 New York Motor Show is the introduction of a new engine for the F-Type sports car. It’s official – the F-Type will now come with four-cylinder power.
On sale this spring, the new F-Type four-cylinder will start from £49,900, making it the new entry-level version and bringing the starting price of Jaguar’s two-seater down a few thousand from the £52,265 you need for the V6.
The new engine is a turbocharged 2.0-litre Ingenium unit, producing 296bhp and 400Nm of torque generated from 1,500rpm. It’s paired exclusively to an 8-speed Quickshift automatic gearbox powering the rear wheels – there is no option for a manual gearbox.
With that power on board, Jaguar claims that the four-cylinder F-Type can do 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 155mph. The same figures are quoted for both coupe and convertible variants.
The new 2.0-litre engine is only marginally slower than the next step up. The heavier 335bhp unit sends the F-Type to 62mph from standstill in 5.3 seconds and achieves a top speed of 161mph. However, the act of downsizing means the four-cylinder F-Type returns a claimed 39.2mpg with CO2 emissions of 163g/km, improving on the 33.6mpg and 199g/km CO2 figures of the V6 model.
The smaller, 2.0-litre engine means that the entry level F-Type is 52kg lighter than the V6 car sat above it in the range. The coupe weighs in at 1,525kg with the convertible slightly heavier at 1,545kg, and the lighter kerb weight means Jaguar has seen it necessary to alter the spring rates and steering setup to fine tune the four-cylinder car’s handling and road feel. Jaguar says it has also fine-tuned the exhaust, promising that the 2.0-litre engine isn’t going short in the sound department.
The introduction of the four-cylinder model forms part of the revised 2018 model year F-Type range. Additional driver assist features are now available, including autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign assist, lane keep assist and Jaguar’s adaptive speed limiter system.
The F-Type’s looks have also been refreshed with redesigned bumpers and full LED headlights. To single it out against the rest of the range, the new four-cylinder model comes with a distinctive, oblong exhaust tip mounted in the middle of the rear bumper. Unique lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels are part of the package too.
Do you like the idea of a Jaguar F-Type 4-cylinder or should it have stuck to V6 and V8 power? Let us know in the comments...
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