By Nauman Farooq
The Jaguar F-Type has been featured on these pages a few times before, but its back, because this one is a little different!
Unlike every other F-Type I’ve tested in the past, this one doesn’t have a supercharged motor, it has a turbocharger instead. Furthermore, it doesn’t have a six, or eight cylinder motor; instead, it has a four-pot.
There is also no option for a manual or all-wheel drive, as this one can only be had with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive.
Question is, is this still a real F-Type, or an imposter posing to be one?
Styling: As you approach the car, you’d be hard pressed to tell which model it actually is, because all F-Types pretty much look the same – which is a good thing, because this is one of the prettiest cars currently on sale in the country.
The only visual difference I could make out, is the exhaust pipe; rather than having two outlets (V6 models) or four (V8 models), the four-cylinder model only gets a single exhaust tip – and it is a big one. In my opinion, it is not the best back end among F-Types, but at least it stands out from the rest.
Interior: Step inside, and the interior is almost identical to any other F-Type I’ve driven in the past. In fact, the only difference I could make out was that this 2.0L model had black interior door handles, rather than silver. I actually preferred this detail, as the door handles looked more flush with the interior.
The seats also didn’t have as much adjustment as some F-Types I’ve experienced in the past, but they still had power adjustment and were comfortable – even on a long drive. Rest of the interior was the same, as in any F-Type, which is no bad thing.
Powertrain: As mentioned before, the model being tested this week, has a 2.0L, four-cylinder, turbocharged motor. It develops 296 hp, and 295 lb-ft of torque. Step on the ‘right’ pedal hard, and it’ll sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, and top out at 250 km/h – so, while not as fast as the V6 and V8 F-Types, it is still very fast.
Driving Dynamics: Numbers are one thing, how a car feels is quite another. The first time I started up this 2.0L F-Type, the noise it made was quite unlike any other F-Type I’ve ever come across, and that is not a good thing. Furthermore, driving through town, at slow speeds, it makes whizzing, and groaning noises, rather than roaring ones – not what you expect while sitting in an F-Type. However, when you put your foot down, this little motor does show some aggression, and sounds pretty good.
What seems to improve, is the handling. Because the nose is now lighter, thanks to the smaller engine, this 2.0L model seems sharper on turn in, so is actually more fun on twisty back roads. So, as a driving experience, it is still a real F-Type.
Fuel Economy: As you’d expect, this is the most fuel efficient F-Type to date. Despite my fun time with it, it still averaged 9.5L/100km, which is very good.
Pricing: It is also the most affordable F-Type model on the market, with pricing starting at $69,500.
Verdict: While a four-cylinder F-Type might not sound or feel as brutish as its other variants, it still offers great style with very satisfying pace. The lower price point would also help more people to afford an F-Type, and a world with more F-Types is certainly a better place!