2018 Jaguar F-Type 4-cylinder officially released

Right after revealing cars like the XE SV Project 8 and XJR575, Jaguar has taken a step in the opposite direction of the performance scale by downsizing the engine of the F-Type sports car. This new cat on the block will now come with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of 296 hp, putting the F-Type in the odd position of competing with both the Porsche 911 and the Porsche 718.

The F-Type range is available with a V6 or a V8, both of which were well-known for their aural drama and performance. Jaguar claims that with the new engine, though obviously slower, it’s not a thing to shrug at. The addition of the new engine takes the total count of powertrain options for the F-Type to 10. This new 2.0-litre engine comes from Jaguar’s Ingenium engine family and it features electronic valve-lift control instead of a throttle plate. A twin-scroll turbo helps the engine produce 296 hp of power, which is accompanied by 400 Nm of torque from 1500 to 4500 rpm. All of these are managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission which delivers the power exclusively to the rear wheels.

The 2.0-litre F-Type weighs the least of the bunch (1,524 kg) due to the lighter engine. The steering and suspension have been retuned to compensate for the reduction in weight at the front end. Due to this weight saving, the 2.0-litre F-Type sprints from 0-100 kph in 5.7 seconds which is only 0.4 seconds slower than the V6 automatic variant. The top speed is electronically governed at 250 kph.

A few visual upgrades has been done as well. The front fascia has been updated mildly. The LED taillights and headlights get a tiny revision too. Inside, it gets a new set of lightweight seats. A self-parallel-park system comes standard along with Jaguar’s InControl Touch Pro infotainment system.

The 4-cylinder 2018 Jaguar F-Type will likely be in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries before the end of the year.

Keep track of the latest prices and upgrades in the Jaguar F-Type buyer guide.