Jaguar Confirms New Supercharged Six for F-type and Introduces a Turbo Four [Beijing Auto Show]

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Jaguar Confirms New Supercharged Six for F-type and Introduces a Turbo Four [Beijing Auto Show]

Jaguar F-Type concept

Two new engines with forced induction will join Jaguar's roster in the company's push to grow sales in the U.S., Europe, and China.

A supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 has been derived from Jaguar's outstanding 5.0-liter V-8, and will make 340 hp in most applications. The upcoming F-type sports car will debut the engine, and will exclusively offer a special 380-hp version. We're guessing the high-po V-6 is being kept out of the sedans for now because it would overlap with the naturally aspirated V-8, which is rated at 385 hp. Since the F-type is probably not being engineered to take a larger eight-cylinder engine, there's no risk of duplication. Jaguar isn't talking about torque for either version of the supercharged six yet, but a variant of this engine previewed in the C-X16 concept car—the forbearer of the production F-type—delivered 332 lb-ft.

On the smaller side, Jaguar is introducing a 240-hp turbocharged four. In all likelihood, this is the same 2.0-liter engine used in the Range Rover Evoque—itself borrowed from Ford—although the Jaguar version is rotated for longitudinal installation. Jaguar's turbo four has the same displacement down to the cubic centimeter, bore, and stroke as the Evoque's four, as well as Ford's 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine in the Escape, Explorer, Edge, and more. Based on that, we're pegging the still-not-announced torque rating for Jaguar's version of this engine at a healthy 250 lb-ft.

Both engines will use an eight-speed transmission, sourced from ZF and also used by BMW, Audi, Chrysler, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley. It's likely that the F-type will also offer a manual gearbox with its V-6, but it hasn't been confirmed yet. You'll probably be forced to choose the automatic if you want the optional engine stop-start system, though.

How Do They Stack Up?

Jaguar is joining a growing list of premium automakers offering force-fed V-6s. BMW's newest turbocharged inline-six makes 300 hp and 300 lb-ft in smaller cars like the 335i, and as much as 315 hp and 330 lb-ft in the big 740i. The supercharged V-6 from Audi cranks out 333 hp and 325 lb-ft. Mercedes-Benz still uses a naturally aspirated V-6, good for just 302 hp and 273 lb-ft. Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura are all naturally aspirated for now, too.

On the four-cylinder front, Jaguar will face competition from two 2.0-liter turbo fours: BMW's delivers 240 hp and 255 lb-ft, while Audi's is good for 211/258.

Which Engines Will We See, and in What?

In addition to the F-type, the 340-hp supercharged six will be the new base engine in our XF sedan. Globally, Jaguar is going to offer its new V-6 in the XJ. We're not sure if that car will come to the U.S., though: Offering it could interfere with Jaguar's attempts to position the brand as super-premium. Beyond that, pricing could be a deal-breaker. A V-6 XJ would have to be priced significantly cheaper than the $75,000 V-8 model, and the weak U.S. dollar may mean a six-cylinder XJ imported from England would be a money-loser. On the upside, even if we don't see a blown six in our XJ, it's going to be such a boon for the company's sales in Europe and China that it could pay for future projects we will see here.

The four may not make the journey to the U.S. at all. It'll be a crucial engine for the XF and XJ in other countries, and would be a smart base engine for the F-type in Europe, too. But the same branding and pricing problems for the six-cylinder XJ would apply to any use of the four-cylinder in the States, too.

We'll see the six in 2013 when it debuts in the F-type, and probably soon after in the XF.