Jaguar shrinks F-Type range

JAGUAR Australia has slashed the number of variants in its F-Type sportscar range to just six – four coupes and two convertibles – in the latest facelifted iteration unveiled in the United Kingdom overnight.

The British company has deleted all manual gearbox variants, along with the entry level Standard specification for the Australian market where order books are open now for deliveries starting in April.

The flagship SVR is also missing in action – at least for now – although its muscular 423kW/700Nm 5.0-litre V8 lives on in the revamped R coupe that previously made do with 404kW and 680Nm from its V8.

The R coupe also becomes the only all-wheel-drive offering in the range, with all the others having rear-wheel drive.

The supercharged 3.0-litre V6 now comes in just one tune – 280kW/460Nm – with the 250kW/450Nm version passing into F-Type history.

But at least Australia still gets a V6 F-Type – the British market has dispensed with six-cylinder power altogether, choosing only four-cylinder and V8 powertrains.

Counting Chequered flag special editions, the sprawling F-Type range in Australia currently stretches to more than 30 variants, counting differences in body style, specification, transmission, rear-wheel-drive versus all-wheel drive and variations in engine performance.

The refreshed range for Australia now starts with the 2.0-litre 221kW/400Nm four-cylinder R-Dynamic coupe automatic at $126,450 plus on-road costs.

This means the price of entry to the F-Type range jumps more than $12,000, up from $113,842, which was the price of the now-defunct Standard F-Type.

Remaining variants cop price hikes ranging from roughly $4000 to $10,000 compared with current equivalents, with the F-Type R coupe copping the biggest whack, rising from $252,842 to $263,300.

In return, buyers get a thoroughly revamped model with a fresh face, more equipment, revamped interior, sharper eight-speed automatic transmission and a reworked chassis for improved handling.

Jaguar designers set out to make the revised F-Type’s exterior design “more assertive” by reworking the headlights, enlarging the grille and reshaping the bumper and bonnet into a bolder look that “embodies Jaguar design DNA in its purest form”.

This is best evidenced in the R coupe’s slim LED headlights that look like they mean business.

Inside, one of the major changes is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that the driver can adjust to taste from a choice of displays, from a full-width sat-nav map to traditional tacho front and centre.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now fitted, along with new-generation Meridian audio systems.

It would not be a Jaguar without a leather interior, but the designers have moved it up a notch with Windsor leather matched with satin-chrome trim.

The biggest mechanical changes are reserved for the R, starting with the more powerful and reworked eight-speed automatic transmission that pushes the torque to all four wheels.

The 0-100km/h sprint is executed in 3.7 seconds, while top speed is an electronically limited 300km/h.

Continuously variable dampers are included in the new chassis that also include revamped springs and anti-roll bars.

Brakes now feature 398mm discs at the front and 376mm discs at the back. Carbon ceramic alternatives are optional.

The 20-inch wheels are fitted with 10mm-wider tyres – 265/35/ZR20 at the front and 305/30/ZR20 at the rear.

All F-Type engines come with a switchable exhaust system for extra sonic pleasure.

For the first year of the facelifted F-Type, the company is offering a Launch Edition coupe armed with the V6 engine.

Based on the R-Dynamic specification, the Launch Edition gets an exterior pack that includes 20-inch wheels.

Interior extras include 12-way electric seat adjustment, black Windsor leather seats with contrast stitching, Alcantara-finished instrument binnacle, aluminium gear shift paddles, black suede-look headliner and other niceties.

For these extras, First Edition buyers will pay a $32,200 premium over the V6 R-Dynamic coupe, at $205,300.

So far this year, Jaguar Australia has sold 88 F-Types – exactly the same as the first 10 months of last year.

The F-Type’s closest competitor, the Porsche 911, has achieved 461 sales so far in 2019.

2020 Jaguar F-Type pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs