I'm currently in Korea on business & have been chatting with the MD of our local company, he's up for a new car & has been thinking long & hard about the XJ...but I was more than surprised when he asked me "how is the 2.0L in the XJ?"

Yes, in Korea the XJ comes with the 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder as seen in the XF, the Freelander and the Evoque.

Jaguar Korea have 6 model XJ's in the lineup.

Luxury SWB - 2.0L Turbo, 240HP
Premium Luxury LWB - 3.0L V6 Diesel 275HP or 3.0L V6 S/C 340HP
Premium Luxury SWB - 3.0L V6 Diesel 275HP or 3.0L V6 S/C 340HP
Portfolio AWD LWB - 3.0L V6 S/C 340HP with AWD
XJR SWB - 5.0L S/C 550HP
SuperSport LWB - 5.0L S/C 510HP

I had a feeling that the 2.0L would show up in the XJ somewhere....there you go...

 

If it was me I'd go for the Diesel.

 

I had loaner XFs with the 2.0 Turbo and I did not like them. The turbo had substantial lag, the idle had the typical 4-cylinder roughness and it is simply not what I would expect from a Jaguar. I would NOT buy a Jaguar with this engine regardless of the price.

 

I just had a flashback. I owned a 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with a 2.3 L I-4 engine and a 5 speed manual transmission which, totally stock, went from zero to 60 MPH in 7.5 seconds. Twenty-seven years latter the Jaguar X351 SWB with a 2.0 L I-4 turbo can go from zero to 60 MPH in 7.5 seconds. Doesn't seem like much progress in 27 years, does it? By the way, the '87 Turbo Coupe had four wheel anti-lock disc brakes, had automatic ride control, got 18/26 EPA MPG, had a highly aerodynamic sexy body, could go 133 MPH, and was very affordable. Why would I buy an expensive Jaguar today with a 2.0L I-4 engine that doesn't perform any better than an affordable Thunderbird I purchased 27 years ago?

 

Unless you are planning to move to Korea its not an option.

 

Just making a point; not intending to move to Korea. But I suspect the 2.0 L turbo I-4 may be introduced in the USA in the foreseeable future at the same price as the current 3.0 V-6, if Jaguar's engine downsizing continues. First you you can't get a 5.0 L V-8 anymore without coughing up an additional $10,000.00, then the 3.0 L V-6 will cost you $10,000.00 more than the 2.0 L I-4. We are in a world market, and Jaguar, owned by an Indian company, has positioned themselves with a 2.0 L I-4 engine to address Obama's mandated future fuel economy requirements in the good old USA. Suddenly Jaguar's '15 performance equals that of an '87 T-Bird, a 28 year retrogression.

 

Just dropped off my '12 XJL for its yearly free service and got an other XF 2.0 as a loaner. Just as I stated before, there is NO WAY that I would purchase an XF or an XJ with this 4-banger. It just reminded me how rough it was, and the occasional turbo lag that made me feel like the engine stalled for a couple of seconds. The V6 is definitely better but, neither of them comes close to the smoothness and the general feel of the 5.0. It is a shame that premier cars like these Jags are being forced to go with those lesser engines.

Now I am really glad that I purchased both the XJL and the XF in 2012 when the NA V8 was still available. If I were contemplating a purchase right now, I would rather get a used '12 than a new model with the smaller engines.

 

I'm now also looking at a 2.0 litre... Has anyone driven one in a X351? Looks lovely and the SC in the 3.0 s beautifully smooth, no lag...

 

QP7, stick with your 3.0L. Reading what others are saying, you are taking a fairly big step down. Yes, the seats and whatnot will still be there, but the motor is going to be underwelming.

 

Agreed - although it's not for me !!

Thank you, Thermo !!!

 

It was introduced for countries with big taxation on bigger engines.

 

Yes, and I'm not at all concerned about performance - merely reliability compared to the 3.0 and 5.0 and whether parts are still and /or readily available. e.g. coolant system.

 

The inline 2.0 petrol is far most reliable engine available on x351 platform.
And still used widely on different Ford platforms, so parts are well available.

Edit: Performance wise with 240hp alumium body x351 are still ok. (there are lot of less powerfull vehicles on road)