Jaguar F-Type coming in July

Jaguar is planning to launch the new F-Type in India this July.

The F-type styling has been carried over pretty much unchanged from the C-X16 concept. There are nods to the E-type - in its clamshell bonnet, sloping tail and tail-light design for instance - but this is a very different type of Jaguar sportscar with its own identity.

It's the first Jaguar sportscar that does without the oval front grille. "I was tempted by it," admits Callum, "but you have to let things go." The result is an edgier four-cornered 'mouth' - first previewed on the C-X75 and C-X16 concepts - that gives the F-type the look of a very modern Jaguar.

A pair of 'shark gill' openings which give what the maker calls "rear view mirror recognition", flank the grille. The slim vertical headlights follow the shape of the car and form part of a pair of 'heartlines' on either side that start at the gills, run over the front wings, and drop down into the door lines before disappearing into the rear wings.

The rear of the F-type references the E-type, most notably with the gently sloping tail. The rear LED lights wrap around the wings, there's a diffuser, and integrated into it are the exhaust pipes - twin central pipes for V6 models and split quad pipes for V8 models. A hidden spoiler also pops up from the rear at speeds over 96.5kph, and goes down again when the speed drops below 64kph.

Also on the boot lid is the Jaguar name, as well as the badge, which Callum describes as the "bulls eye" of its now four-strong model range.

In profile, the F-type's classic front-engine, rear-drive layout gives it a traditional long bonnet and short overhang proportions. It is 21mm shorter than a Porsche 911, and 128mm longer than a Boxster. This F-type is just 4mm taller, at 1296mm, than the Boxster.

At 1923mm, the F-type is a considerable 115mm wider than a 911, a car itself that is wider than ever in its most recent 991 generation.

The width is dictated by the F-type's underpinnings. It is based on the all-aluminium monocoque structure and body that is seen beneath the larger and more expensive XK. The structure - which includes a 261kg body-in-white - helps contribute to a kerb weight of 1597kg in its lightest form. That's 63kg lighter than the base XK 5.0 V8, but still a considerable 207kg and 252kg heavier than the lightest 911 and Boxster models.

The F-type is 324mm shorter than the XK and the wheelbase has shrunk by 130mm to 2622m. That wheelbase is longer than most small sportscars as the F-type uses front-mounted longitudinal engines.

The interior is driver focussed and is as much about well-executed switches and buttons as new technology. The high central tunnel has grab handles mounted to it, that act as a barrier between the driver and passenger and all the major controls are within easy reach.

Features include a thick-rimmed, small steering wheel and a gearshift selector in place of Jaguar's now familiar rotary dial.

The F-Type will come to India in two variants, a supercharged V6 and a supercharged V8. Prices are expected in the range of ₹1.3-1.5 crore.

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