Saw it in passing. you can find it by googling.


The 6 cyl engine is plenty powerful enough, but adding a 4 cylinder kind of cheapens the entire model line.

 

Don't necessarily disagree, but Jaguar has one of if not the highest average price points of the mainstream premium/luxury brands and unit sales are soft right now. Jaguar sales have been down YOY for the past few months (30% in August, 13% in September) and they need to revitalize their lineup and numbers. With the XE being a year and a half away, they need to look at making their brand and lineup accessible to more.

A lower cost F Type with a 4 cylinder engine is an obvious way to do that. It will be force fed, so still capable of moving the car. I've driven an XF with the 4 cyl turbo and it's a decent engine. Throw a manual transmission option into the mix too and you'd have the lightest and cheapest F Type which would broaden the appeal and provide a point of entry that's still "premium" while not necessarily cheapening the brand/model too much.

It just is what it is. Jaguar needs sales and there's only so many who can afford the V6 and V8 line up. BMW, Audi and MB have gone to forced induction fours in their line up and it's not had any genuinely negative effect. Sure, some argue that a V6 and up is needed in a premium car, and there's some legitimacy to that of course, but their sales continue to grow while Jaguar's contract so some change is needed.

I'd think a better way to look at this might be that this car would be the lightest and nimblest F Type. It's not for me, I'd still focus on the higher-end models, but it could be a great blend of power/handling that reinforces the credentials of this car as a serious sports car and not just as a phenomenal sports/GT.

 

That's a good point. I guess jaguar had to follow the lead of the Germans and make cheap versions of their cars. Filthy lukre

 

Notwithstanding swa's points -- which i mostly agree with -- i'm not a fan.

The 4cyl models may be necessary in some geographies like Singapore where the cars are heavily taxed by engine size and a base V-6 costs $400k. But i think it is a dilution of the brand and Jaguar risks losing that valuable, core customer base of premium buyers that has helped make JLR the most profitable luxury brand in the industry.
The XE and a 4cyl F-Type, coupled with the loss of the 2+2 XK sours me on Jaguar's future...it starts looking like an inferior version of the BMW strategy. Ralf Speth, Jaguar's CEO, did come out of BMW after all, and it's hard to ignore what BMW, MB, and VW are doing with productline enlargement.

Whereas i've been a fan of Jaguar's performance in the last decade, i think overextension will hurt this brand much more than it impacts BMW/MB which enjoy global brand appeal and can absorb brand dilution better.

With the dilution I'd be more tempted to move to Aston or Maserati in the same price bracket for my next ride.
"It's good to be bad" has worked well for Jaguar, but today it feels a little more like "it's good to be mediocre"

 

I think it's a really bad idea for Jaguar. I for one, would not have bought an F-Type if I knew they were going to come out with such a model.

Perhaps Chevrolet should follow suit and put a 4 cylinder in the Stingray.

 

Wait till you see the diesel...

 

But, bear in mind that the turbo and supercharged 4-cylinder in the cancelled C-X75 produced 500bhp, despite having a capacity of just 1.6 litres.

 

I think having an engine in existence with fewer cylinders than in one's car really does cheapen the experience.

I was going to sell mine when I heard there was a V6 available, but it blew up first.

Now that there is a 4cyl on the way, when this engine blows up at its regularly scheduled blow up interval, I'm not even sure I want another one.

 

It's not like a 4cyl F Type is going to cost 30k... It is still going to be a reasonably expensive car.

That BMW offers a 4 cylinder 528 doesn't undermine or cheapen say the M5. There will always be an aura about the higher end models.

And like it or not, Jaguar still has to focus on meeting future CAFE targets.

Bigger issue though is brand viability. Not enough people are buying Jaguars today. It's not sustainable at current volumes. This and the XE is how Jaguar has to respond.

 

Perfectly on target!

 

All manufacturers are moving to smaller engines + turbos. Emissions and fuel economy regulations.

 

I don't entirely agree with this. M5, M3, Z06, Z/28, etc. are all great cars. But they definitely feel less special to me because the lower trims dilute their uniqueness. They feel derivative.

 

This is would be my answer as to why Jaguar really needs the 4 cylinder model and the XE - NOW. Today they don't have a GT since the XK series is gone. They only have three models to choose from that are fairly high priced and can't really help them meet CAFE standards. Four cylinder cars aren't for me, but they are here to stay. I'm really not worried about Jaguar's status as they are making some desirable cars that are getting good reviews in the press. I definitely would not move up to an Aston Martin or Maserati just to impress others. Do you think the buyer of the new S-Class Mercedes (that a couple of car magazines think is the best coupe ever) cares that the same company is also selling cars that cost $33,000?

 

The V8 is going to be phased OUT... the V6 will eventually be the HOG of the lineup and the 4 cyl are here to stay. DONT PANIC!!! Your Jaguar will simply be that much more awesome when the next guy can only get a 4 cyl or v6!!! THINK ABOUT IT . Its good to be us!!

Loth

 

Lothar,

My sense is that you're right. We're nearing the end of the 2nd "muscle car" era featuring big V8 engines. Small displacement, forced induction power plants will be the only gasoline engines left within a decade or less.

Jaguar has to move that way or die.

 

And don't forget the hybrid is inevitably coming and will give Jag the best of both worlds - really fab torque and acceleration with good emissions. We might all miss the sounds of the V8 (and V6 eventually) but have to accept it will come.

 

Not really. Just buy something else. Theres plenty of choice.

 

Well, I think that is what he is saying. EVERY car manufacturer will eventually have to build a hybrid model especially if engine efficiency becomes the norm. Me personally, I would have saved the 4-cyl for the XE model only but if Jaguar can produce a smooth 450-500hp four cylinder engine which apparently they've already done then they are a step ahead of the game.

 

Wait I totally missed that link. is that a 300% import tax?!?! Singapore sounds awful. What's the cheapest car you can get there?

 

Jaguar is putting their newly developed 4-cylinder engine in the XE as the base engine. It will likely hit the market first, and like BMW they will seek to use it as often as possible across an expanded product line.