2018 Jaguar F-type Four-Cylinder Overseas Preview Drive | Can A Four-Pot Keep The F-Type’s Sporting Spirit Alive?
When the Jaguar F-Type first arrived it set the tone for the rebirth of the British brand, a prestige car maker keen to build on its sporting heritage and win new customers.
With almost-erotic good looks, and a choice of sonorous supercharged V6 and V8 engines the F-Type seemingly did everything right. So why on earth is Jaguar dropping a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine under the bonnet for 2018?
It’s being sensible, that’s what. Over time, sports car sales follow a downward curve, and with a few years under its belt already the F-Type is feeling the pinch of slackening sales. Now, with a cheaper entry level model the F-Type can appeal to a broader section of the market.
Vehicle Style: Prestige sports coupe and roadster
Price: $107,300 (coupe) 126,000 (roadster) plus on-road costs
Engine/trans: 221kW/400Nm 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol | 8sp automatic
Fuel Economy Claimed: 7.2 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The 221kW turbocharged 2.0-litre engine found under the long bonnet of the F-Type will, of course, be joined by more powerful V6 and V8 variants when it goes on sale in Australia, but at $107,300 plus on-road costs puts around $12,000 worth of breathing room between itself and the cheapest V6 model.
At first glance, the F-Type’s spec sheet, although hardly anemic, may not impress like the bigger engines in the range can, but put next to realistic competitors like the Porsche Boxster, which also takes its power from a 2.0-litre turbo engine, the F-Type musters one extra kilowatt and 20 more Newton Meters.