MOTORING NEWS - Jaguar is broadening the appeal of the new F-Type with the introduction of the state-of-the-art, four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine.
The award-winning F-Type family now has a range from the entry level four-cylinder model to Jaguar's 320km all-weather supercar, the F-Type SVR.
The pairing of Jaguar's all-aluminium two-seat sports car with the advanced 221kW, 2,0-litre turbocharged powerplant delivers Jaguar sports car performance with enhanced agility and improved efficiency and affordability.
The new model retains the performance expected from the F-Type and has an official acceleration figure of 0 to 100km and a top speed of 250km.
The turbocharged engine's high maximum torque of 400Nm, generated from just
1 500rpm, together with the eight-speed Quickshift transmission, delivers exceptional response throughout the rev range.
The 221kW Ingenium engine is the most powerful four-cylinder unit ever offered in a production Jaguar.
At 110kW per litre, it also generates the highest specific power output of any engine in the F-Type range.
It also makes this the most efficient F-Type in the range, with official figures claiming a 16% improvement in fuel economy over the 250kW V6, together with CO² emissions of just 163g/km on the European combined cycle.
"Introducing our advanced four-cylinder engine to F-Type has created a vehicle with its own distinct character.
"Performance from an engine of this size is remarkable and is balanced with improved fuel efficiency and affordability, making the F-Type experience more accessible than ever before," says Ian Hoban, vehicle line director of the F-Type.
A host of advanced technologies enable the Ingenium engine to deliver this blend of high performance and low fuel consumption.
Neatly integrated into the cylinder head is a state-of-the-art electro-hydraulic valvetrain featuring patented control algorithms developed in-house.
This technology enables fully variable control of intake valve lift for optimum power, torque and efficiency throughout the engine's operating range.
Coolant flowing through the manifold reduces warm-up times and therefore reduces fuel consumption and emissions.
The design prevents exhaust gas pulsation interference, ensuring that the turbine wheel responds quickly and boost pressure is delivered near-instantaneously, which makes turbo lag almost non-existent.
The 200bar direct injection system features centrally mounted fuel injectors.
Together with optimised spray patterns, this helps to minimise fuel impingement on the cylinder walls and the piston crowns, improving efficiency and reducing emissions.
Like all members of the Ingenium family, the F-Types's 221kW powerplant was designed and developed in-house.
It is manufactured in the UK at Jaguar Land Rover's R17-billion engine manufacturing centre.
The engine contributes to an overall vehicle weight reduction of 52kg - most of which is over the front axle. This is key to the four-cylinder F-Type's enhanced agility.
The four-cylinder does compromise on aural feedback. A tuned active exhaust is standard on entry-level F-Type models, while the R-Dynamic variants feature a switchable active exhaust for a more involving driving experience.
"Most of the weight reduction is over the front axle, making the car beautifully balanced and really agile to drive," said Erol Mustafa, chief product engineer of Jaguar Sports Cars.
"As you'd expect, the car is really at home on twisty roads.
"Coupled with a four-cylinder exhaust note, 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."
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