2020 Jaguar F-Type Released

The 2020 Jaguar F-Type has arrived with an even sleeker new look, a few engine and specification upgrades and stays hugely cool.

Jag’s uber-cool coupe and roadster are a firm favourite here at The Redline as well as with my wife. In fact, it’s one of the few cars that turn female heads out in the wild, no matter what knuckle-draggers in Lamborghinis tell you.

Australia scores six distinct models, with four, six and eight-cylinders as well as rear and all-wheel drive depending on the engine. And in a weird first, we get to keep the supercharged six while the home market loses it.

Look and feel

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Look at that new front end! I wasn’t sure what you could do with the tight packaging around the front wheels, but the new headlights redefine the F-Type. It’s pretty obviously a top and tail, meant to take the car into its final years, but if you’re going to do it, do it properly.

The new lights are a lovely, intricate design and gave the design team room to enlarge the grille. The old car’s few styling issues included that slightly pinched grille. Now it’s a bit more grand and framed by the new lights which have what Jaguar calls “Calligraphy” DRLs. Basically, they’re hockey stick-shaped and are more in line with the other cars with the slimmer lights (eg XF and XE).

Down the back there are new, slimmer taillights with the more angular chicance line. It’s not hugely different, but enough for you to see it’s the newer car.

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Things haven’t changed too much inside, which is good or not so good depending on your viewpoint. The analogue clocks have been replaced by a 12.3-inch digital display, with a big central tachometer. An updated touchscreen software also receieves over the air software updates so you don’t have to wait for your annual service before getting upgrades. It’s also got Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard on the big screen.

I’ve always liked the cabin, but it does still feel a bit mobile drawing room in some specs, especially with warmer leather colours like brown. Anyway, I still like it even if it isn’t space-age because it doesn’t need to be.

Drivetrain

Australian buyers have a choice of three engines.

The first is the 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo Ingenium with 221kW and a massive 400Nm from 1500 to 4500rpm, which is awesome. It’s crackly and we drove the now-replaced one a few months ago. You’ll hit the ton in a respectable 5.7 seconds and consume 8.1L/100km (NEDC) on the combined cycle, which isn’t that far off reality.

The second is the 280kW 3.0-litre supercharged V6, dialling up 460Nm and 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. Fuel consumption figures on the sticker come in at 8.6L/100km on the combined cycle and that is not very close to reality at all, even if you’re careful.

Finally, the R. Now this is interesting. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 climbs down from the SVR, still delivering a massive (and hugely loud) 423kW and a massive 700Nm between 3500 and 5000rpm. The sprint to 100km/h is over in 3.7 seconds. As the R misses out on the SVR’s active aero package, top-speed is “only” 300km/h. May as well be 700km/h in Australia, let’s face it.

Fuel consumption in the V8 is lavish, but Jaguar’s official NEDC figure is, um, 11L/100km. Probably not, eh? The engine isn’t hugely updated but it now features a quiet start, with the exhaust flaps staying closed unless you select Dynamic or hit the exhaust button. And the exhausts now have lovely R etchings on the barrels. Nice.

The four and six-cylinder F-Types are rear-wheel drive and have a newly-calibrated eight-speed automatic (called QuickShift). The R has the SVR’s very rear-biased all-wheel drive and the same eight-speed automatic. Jaguar reckons the shifts are faster and crisper in the MY20. Only one way to find out…

How Much and When?

When the new car arrives, you can choose the R-Dynamic Coupe and Convertible with either the Ingenium four or supercharged V6. Prices for the Ingenium fours start at $126,400 and the supercharged V6s from $173,100.

There will also be a First Edition V6 for $203,500 and the R, with the old SVR’s 423kW engine, is a snip at $263,300, a hefty price cut on the previous big banger.

The six models will be along soon, no doubt with the usual extensive options list to add their basic spec, which looks okay. The R-Dynamic comes with LED headlights, leather interior, sat nav, a choice of interior finishes and the usual choice of wheels.

As for the SVR, I have no idea what’s happened to that. I tried to dig up where it’s gone or what’s happening, but Jaguar’s local PR fellow is way better than I am. The talk of a BMW twin-turbo V8 engine refuses to go away, though…