Test drive Jaguar F-type. The era of political correctness
The refreshed Jaguar F-type coupe and roadster show completely different temperaments, but still remain a British style icon
The presentation of the updated Jaguar F-type is delayed so much that it begins to resemble a lecture on industrial design. New chief stylist of the brand Julian Thompson is so enthusiastic about the proportions of various Jaguar coupes that it seems that he completely loses track of time.
He begins his story from afar, first depicting the classic XK140. Then he starts sketching the legendary E-type. And only after that he draws with an F-type stylus with an updated face.
It is clear that striking design is the most important component of such cars, but why don't they give their word to any of the other specialists who worked on this project? The answer is simple: this time, their work was not so significant. In fact, the current modernization of the F-type was started primarily for the sake of deep facelift and only secondarily for upgrading the technical filling.
The fact is that during their seven-year history, the coupe and roadster from Coventry have been modernized more than once. The most significant was in 2017, when the car was pretty shaken up the line of engines, adding a new two-liter turbo engine. But the appearance of the car has remained practically unchanged since its debut back in 2013. And only now, large headlights in the style of the classic E-type have been replaced by thin blades of LED optics. The air intakes in the new bumper have also swelled, the radiator grille has slightly increased. However, it still fits harmoniously into the look of the sports car.
Thompson explains that the current cross-section of the front air intake has reached its size limit and will not increase further. He himself is an ardent opponent of the modern trend to increase radiator grilles, which is adhered to by German manufacturers. You can, of course, not share his opinion, but we must admit that the new "grin" is very much the main Jaguar sports car of the last two decades.
The F-type food has also undergone a slightly less radical cosmetic change. New lights with dynamic turn signals and pronounced arcs of diode brake lights visually lightened the sirloin of the car. Now she does not seem overweight in any of the angles.
There are fewer changes inside: the architecture of the front panel is the same, and the small block of "live" buttons on the center console, which is responsible for controlling the driving modes, exhaust flap, stabilization system and climate control, remains the same.
There are two visible changes. The first is a new media system with a widescreen touchscreen display. It works faster than before, and the graphics are better. But the matte touchscreen is still very reflective in clear weather. The second is a virtual dashboard, on which you can display not only the instrument scales, but also the readings of the onboard computer, a navigation map and, for example, radio or music. The extended functionality of the new shield helps out great when you can't see anything on the media screen because of the bright sunlight.
You might think that with such a thorough rethinking of the F-type style, there were no changes in the technical filling at all, but this is not so. The main acquisition is a modification with a V8 engine under the hood. This is a familiar compressor unit with a volume of 5 liters, which was derated to 450 liters. with. and put in more stringent European standards for the content of harmful substances in exhaust gases.
The main loss is the insane 550-horsepower version of the SVR. However, now a more powerful modification has appeared in the lineup with the previous "eight", forced up to 575 hp. with., which is denoted by the letter R, but, alas, no longer has such a loud exhaust. The lineup also includes a 2-liter 300-horsepower engine of the Ingenium family and a 380-horsepower "six". The latter, however, will no longer be offered in Europe and will remain only in some foreign markets, including Russia.
The very first ride on a roadster with an inline-four with a capacity of 300 liters. with. removes all the jokes about a two-liter juice bag under the hood. Yes, during overclocking it does not darken in the eyes, but the dynamics at the level of 6 s to "hundreds" is still impressive. Especially if you perform these spurts with an open top.
However, the main skill of this engine is different. And even if the pick-up from the bottom is not his trump card, but how exactly the thrust is spread over the operating range of revolutions from about 1500 to 5000 is really impressive. The torque curve is almost linear, so metering gas and controlling traction in corners is as easy as if a large naturally aspirated engine were running under the hood.
The F-type itself in this performance seems to be a reference in driving. Due to the small motor, the axle weight distribution is almost perfect, and the steering wheel is so precise and transparent that you literally feel the asphalt with your fingertips.
A completely different impression is made by the F-type R with a gigantic 575-horsepower V8 under the hood. Firstly, because all-wheel drive is installed here. And secondly, the weight distribution along the axes is completely different here. Almost 60% of the mass falls on the front wheels, which required reconfiguring the elastic elements (by the way, the shock absorbers here are adaptive and change the stiffness characteristics depending on the driving mode), as well as the steering.
The "steering wheel" on this version is initially tighter, and at speed it is filled with such a strong effort that at times you start not to drive the car, but literally fight it. Plus dynamics at the level of 3,7 s to "hundreds" and amazing responsiveness of all controls. As a result, any action requires much more concentration. And if a roadster is a typical car for a funny drive, then a coupe is a real sports equipment, which is better for a very skillful and trained driver to get behind the wheel.
The only disappointing thing about the new F-type R is the sound. No, the exhaust with an open damper is still juicy grumbles and loudly shoots out under the gas discharge, but the primitive roar and rumble that the SVR version made is finally a thing of the past. Tough European environmental and noise regulations have forced Jaguar engineers to quiet down the F-type and its booming voice. And despite Brexit and the British craving for identity, their industry continues to play by European rules, finally entering the era of zero emissions and political correctness.
| A type | Roadster | Coupe |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4470/1923/1307 | 4470/1923/1311 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2622 | 2622 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1615 | 1818 |
| engine's type | R4, benz., Turbo | V8, benz., Turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1997 | 5000 |
| Max. power, l. with. (at rpm) | 300/5500 | 575/6500 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (rpm) | 400 / 1500-4500 | 700 / 3500-5000 |
| Drive type, transmission | Rear, AKP8 | Full, AKP8 |
| Max. speed km / h | 250 | 300 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 5,7 | 3,7 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 8,1 | 11,1 |
| Price from, $. | from 75 321 | No data |
