The brand has greater ambitions though, with a more attainable, more efficient and indeed, a more lightweight version of its F-Type now being made available on local shores. Autodealer journalist Justin Jacobs attended the launch of the 2.0-litre turbocharged F-Type range at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit recently.
Those looks and interior
There’s no denying that the F-Type is a stunning vehicle to behold. We photograph many cars here at Autodealer, but the F-Type is one of the very few cars that our freelance photographers find easy to capture a great shot of, irrespective of the location chosen.
It cuts an iconic coupe silhouette and is genuinely a great homage to the legendary E-Type, with a long bonnet, short rear overhangs and muscular bulges that leave the impression of a wide, short and aggressive-looking modern Jaguar sports car.
The most important thing about the 2.0-litre though is that it has retained an almost identical exterior design to the V6, besides the new centre-mounted, single-exit trapezoidal exhaust as well as new 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs.
For those familiar with the interior of the F-Type, the 2.0-litre holds very few surprises. The overall build quality, design and many of the materials found inside are more than adequate, although there is the odd surface that feels a bit underwhelming in terms of quality.
The infotainment system is beginning to show its age too, with the latest system from sister company Land Rover first seen in the Range Rover Velar outperforming the F-Type’s system in terms of speed, resolution and overall performance.
Does it still have soul?
One of the best aspects of the outgoing F-Type range is the utterly ballistic powertrain options, with a sonorous supercharged V6 that screams to the heavens and of course, the rolling thunder of the supercharged V8 making the F-Type one of the most distinctive sounding sports cars on the planet. The obvious downside to large, blown motors is both excessive fuel consumption and weight, which when a motor is mounted up front, can affect the handling of the car negatively.
Now though, there’s the Ingenium 2.0-litre turbo petrol. It’s certainly not shy in the power stakes, with 221kW/400Nm available. It may be down in power and torque, but in terms of weight, the four-cylinder F-Type is some 52kg lighter than the V6 auto variant.
All 2.0-litre models come equipped with the now familiar eight-speed automatic gearbox which has proven to be an exceptionally versatile transmission over the past few years.
The weight loss is associated with the lighter engine and therefore, the 2.0-litre model has considerably less weight over its front wheels. The other benefit is fuel consumption, with Jaguar claiming a rather impressive 7.2-litres/100km.
Reporting live from the launch at the time of writing due to a looming print deadline, Justin found the latest F-Type to be great fun around the Kyalami circuit.
“The weight saving over the front wheels definitely translates into a more direct and satisfying driving experience. The 2.0-litre engine pulls very well and exhibits very little turbo lag,” said Jacobs.
“I did find that the sound produced by the engine was not quite as intoxicating as in the V6 and V8 models, but with the active exhaust system, there were a few instances where I experienced grin-inducing pops and bangs from the four-cylinder model." he added.
Verdict
Justin summed the F-Type up as follows: “The latest entrant into the F-Type range has made Jaguar’s sports car more engaging and exploitable, but at the same time, the attributes such as the sound and instantaneous throttle response that make the V6 and V8 so great are absent." he said.
“It’s amazing that cars that are broadly similar can feel so different. For those wanting precision and feel, the 2.0-litre is the one to have, for everything else, the V6 and V8 satisfy the soul like nothing else.” he concluded.
Service plan and warranty
The F-Type 2.0-litre models come with a three-year/100 00km warranty as well as a five-year/100 000km maintenance plan as standard.
Pricing
F-Type Coupe - R914 202
F-Type Convertible - R931 002
F-Type Coupe R-Dynamic - R992 002
F-Type Convertible R-Dynamic - R1 008 802
