There hasn't been a new Jaguar as breathtakingly beautiful as F-Type since it launched in 2013. As the spiritual successor to the iconic E-Type, the F-Type has earned its own place within the UK carmaker's long lineup of historic and special models. But after seven years on the market and only a few changes along the way, the F-Type either needs to be replaced outright or heavily updated to keep it competitive. Jaguar has chosen the latter. Autocar has learned there are major changes in store for the 2020 Jaguar F-Type in order to extend its production lifespan.
While there have been some previous rumors claiming an all-electric F-Type is in store, this won't happen for next year. Instead, Jaguar will drop the supercharged V6 and replace it with a new turbocharged and hybrid straight-six with better fuel economy.
Fortunately, the supercharged V8 will remain with relatively few changes. The turbocharged four-cylinder will also be carried over. But what about the manual transmission, we hear you cry. It's already been dropped in North America and chances are this will happen in Europe and other overseas markets due to a low take rate.
Significant exterior changes will also happen. For the most part, the F-Type today looks about the same as it did nearly seven years ago. Expect to see a new front end design featuring slimmer headlights repositioned further down on the front fascia. A redesigned grille and new taillight styling are also planned.
Like the exterior, the F-Type's cabin designed has changed very little but for 2020 it'll incorporate more advanced technologies, digital dials, and infotainment features. The overall styling theme will come directly from the I-Pace and newly updated XE sedan. Jaguar is also fixing one of the chief complaints of the F-Type: too many cheap interior materials. Expect substantial upgrades in that department.
Jaguar has yet to announce the 2020's official reveal date, but we expect it'll make its first public appearance this fall, such at Frankfurt or Los Angeles. It's also possible Jaguar will wait until March 2020 for a Geneva debut.