JAG F-TYPE 2.0

Supermodel style goes on a four-cylinder diet

- Trent Giunco

CAST YOUR EYE over the timeless lines of the F-Type and, despite some nips and tucks, it’s remarkably unchanged from Ian Callum’s cat walkesque original. But this one is not like the others. Boisterous, blown bent sixes and eights are nowhere to be seen. In yet another incarnation of the svelte coupe, Jaguar has bowed to economic and fuel-consumption pressures by offering a four-cylinder turbo. Blimey.

The F-Type is akin to an automotive chameleon, one that can adapt its form and persona to suit the age of rampant downsizing. Yet, all the right ingredients are still present; it’s still a rear-wheel drive coupe/convertible. The elongated bonnet flows into a leather-clad cabin that puts the driver over the rear axle. It’s a classic formula.

Acceptance of the linear 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo will be the real litmus test, though. Yet, the Ingenium unit still packs 221kW and 400Nm – so while it is catering for an entry-level market, it’s not exactly missing out on grunt. Add in the fact that the fourpot version has shed 52kg, bringing the alloy-bodied F-Type’s kerb weight down to 1525kg, and everything starts to align in terms of performance.