F-Type Coupe

Make
Jaguar
Segment
Coupe

If you wanted a Jaguar F-Type, your options were limited to a choice of six and eight-cylinder powerplants, but now the automaker is attempting to broaden the sports car's appeal by rolling out a new entry-level model fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Not only is it more fuel efficient and affordable, it's the lightest and most agile F-Type yet. It's less powerful, of course, with 39 less horsepower than the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 F-Type, but still delivers phenomenal power considering how small the engine is.

The 2.0-liter turbo produces 296 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful four-cylinder ever to be fitted to a production Jaguar. That's enough to allow the entry-level F-Type to sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds before it reaches a limited top speed of 155 mph. The only sacrilege is that Jaguar isn't offering a manual option. For now, the four-cylinder F-Type is only available with an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. Part of Jaguar's Ingenium engine range, the turbocharged 2.0-liter has been built with advanced technology including intake valve lift control and a twin-scroll turbocharger with ceramic ball bearings to reduce turbo lag.

Jaguar also says that the fuel economy of the 2.0 has been improved by 16 percent, but it's the enhanced handling that enthusiasts will appreciate the most. Weighing 3,360 pounds, this is the lightest and most balanced Jaguar F-Type yet. "Most of the weight reduction is over the front axle, making the car beautifully balanced and really agile to drive – as you'd expect, the car is really at home on beautiful twisty roads," product engineer Erol Mustafa explained. "Couple that with a four-cylinder exhaust note and this particular F-TYPE has a character all of its own. I like to think of it as the feisty younger brother of the V6 and V8 models."

The entire F-Type range has also received a minor visual upgrade with new bumpers and full LED lights, while the four-cylinder model features a single center tailpipe to distinguish it from the twin and quad exhausts of the V6 and V8 models, as well as lightweight 18-inch alloys. Changes to the F-Type's interior include new lightweight slimline seats shedding a further 17 pounds, a Touch Pro infotainment system and new chrome and aluminum trim finishers. We would be surprised if the 2.0-liter F-Type doesn't become available in the US, but Jaguar has so far confirmed that it will be priced from 49,900 GBP when it goes on sale in the UK this spring.