2020 Jaguar F-Type Reviews

Jaguar's two-seat F-Type sports car was upgraded in late 2019, and the flagship R model picked up revised looks, more power, and tricky suspension improvements. It goes like a scalded cat!

A new low price and a new turbocharged engine offer plenty of food for thought in the Jaguar F-Type 2018 range.

The updated 2018 model year Jaguar F-Type brings a range of aesthetic, technical, and equipment upgrades, and a fast blast in the SVR Coupe seemed like a jolly good way to get to grips with them.

Damien Reid road tests and reviews the 2016 Jaguar F-Type SVR with specs and verdict at its international launch in Spain.

Almost three years ago Jaguar took the unusual step of introducing the F-Type convertible before the coupe version, it's usually done the other way around. Now an F-Type coupe has spent a week in our possession and we have enjoyed every minute in it.  As is normal, the coupe is lighter than the convertible because

Jaguar is a company that probably shouldn't still be around. For almost four decades, the leaping cat traded on the long-faded glories of the E-Type and Mk II, the marque's styling becoming progressively more timid under Ford's stewardship when Jaguar was part of the ill-fated Premier Automotive Group. When Indian

If a real sports car needs a manual gearbox then the F‒Type Jaguar finally qualifies.The classic British belter is finally picking up a slick ZF six‒speeder with a clutch for its 2016 model update, as well as all‒wheel drive for people who worry that too much fun is more than enough on slippery surfaces.Jaguar expects between 20 and 30 per cent of F-Type buyers to go for the "stick" globally, although that number could be slightly lower in Australia when the updated F‒Type coupes and convertibles arrive in May.Before then, and well in time for winter weather, the F-Types with added front-end traction land in March.The 2016 update, which seems awfully early at the start of 2015, also includes a switchable sports exhaust on all models, a parking pack on V6S and R versions, and memory electric seats on the R cars.Just like Porsche with its 911, Jaguar has also fitted electric power steering — mostly for the economy and emission benefits it brings.Globally, there is extra stuff, including a smartphone app that allows you to start the car remotely and fire up the aircon, but the final specification for local cars is still being confirmed.The manual F-Type will not be cheap, with pricing from $119,470 with a V6 engine, but there are already people with cash to splash. And Jaguar believes it will give the brand a more competitive car against Porsche, which sets the benchmark with its Boxster/Cayman/911 triple act."There have been inquiries about availability of a manual version since launch, and since the announcement that we will be introducing a manual version the dealers report that inquiry has increased," says James Scrimshaw, Jaguar spokesman for Australia.He says 168 F-Types were delivered through 2014 and there is a considerable order bank for cars, as the production line in Britain is working at full capacity."We expect these new derivatives to perform well and increase overall F-Type volumes in 2015," he says.The clutch is light, and the gear ratios work with the force-fed V6 engineThe new F-Types were rolled out for a track-based preview in Portugal during the teaser program for Jaguar's landmark XE compact sedan. There was a wet handling course with track laps and a short road loop. The cars ran from the manual V6S coupe on the road to the AWD V6S in the wet to the AWD V8 R on the Estoril circuit, a grand prix track built back in 1972.The manual F-Type was the pick, but there was nowhere near enough time to get to know it well. I can say that the clutch is light, and the gear ratios work with the force-fed V6 engine, but not much more.Well, apart from the location of the lever. For me, it's awful.Jaguar says it has put the "stick" in the best location available, and also shaved the top of the centre console to clear elbow room, but that did not help. I had to cock my wrist awkwardly to shift in the 2-4-6 plane and I never felt comfortable.It's a good thing that, like the vast majority of Australians, I'm happy with a crisp paddle-shift automatic in most cars.The V8 F-Type was a delight with all-wheel driveThe wet handling track proves that the F-Type has the chassis balance and all-wheel drive system to suit a sport car. Most people would never know it's feeding so much power to the front wheels and it's possible to give full throttle on a soaked road without worrying about the steering wheel tugging or the back stepping out.On the Estoril track, one of the fastest used by carmakers, the V8 F-Type was a delight with all-wheel drive. There was no sign of a manual box, because even the ZF cannot handle the extra torque and that's why the ratios and tuning were optimised for the V6 S.There was a little front-end push in slow corners, and also at better than 140km/h on a very long right-handed sweeper, but most of the time the car stayed planted and obeyed my instructions. Once again, there was no hint of the all-wheel drive package as the car is tuned to stay rear-drive until the tyres reach overload and then to feed drive forward.On the steering front, I could not detect any loss of feel with the switch to electric assist.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Jaguar F-Type with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The Jaguar F-Type Coupe is one of the most beautiful cars currently being produced. It is a stunning vehicle that attracts attention both in traffic and wherever you park it.But this F-Type Coupe promises more than looks, it also wears the R badge and that means it is also very fast.The R is the most powerful F-Type Coupe, which was developed to go head to head with the iconic Porsche 911.  It is out of the reach of most of us at $219,130, but has the presence and the pace of cars that demand far higher prices.  The F-Type was originally designed as a convertible and the coupe came later. Both are beautiful, but the coupe has a wonderful flowing roofline that makes for a fantastic profile. It perfectly mixes elegance with aggression and looks more agile than a 911.The interior looks good, but the quality is not quite at the level of Porsche or Audi. It looks a little less developed. The R spec bronze anodised elements in this car (paddles, starter etc) look out of place and clash with the rest of the interior. There are some cool touches, such as the climate vents risingup out of the dashboard when you switch on the car. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but don’t have a heater function as standard.The red paint on our test car looked rich and bright, but this colour, which is somehow “race inspired” according to Jaguar, costs a mind-blowing $5620. It almost makes the premium other companies charge for metallic paint seem reasonable.The sloping tail of the F-Type Coupe means it has terrible rear visibility. Making it worse is the fact there is no rear-view camera fitted as standard, which is a ridiculous omission for a car that costs this much.The boot is tiny and is almost completely filled with a space saver spare wheel. It is a two seater, with no space behind the seats for storage, so you will need to pack carefully for a weekend away. Apart from the visibility issue, the F-Type is easy to drive around town, with a competent automatic taking care of the gear changes.The F-Type Coupe is not quite as brilliant near the limit as the 911, but that’s not an issue unless you plan on heading over to Germany’s Nurburgring. It still does handle extremely well and is very happy slinging around corners at a rapid rate. The body is tied down well and there is very little roll.It definitely has the ability to match its looks, but the downside to its impressive agility is the jolty ride on less than perfect roads.The R version is astonishingly powerful. A supercharged 5.0-litre V8 makes some 404kW and 680Nm, which is way more than you could ever use on public roads. It blasts from 0-100km/h in just 4.2, which is smidgeon faster (0.1secs) than the Carrera S Porsche auto. The Jag’s pace is great, but theexhaust note is even better. Press a button on the centre console and this cat snaps from domesticated to feral in an instant. It roars wildly on acceleration and bangs like mortar rounds when you back off. The exhaust is so loud that you should consider turning it off in the early morning and late at night for fear of waking the neighbourhood.The fuel consumption is ordinary, some 11.1L/100km, and is worse out on the road, but few owners will care.The F-Type R is seriously overpriced when you factor in all the options that should be standard, but no other car in that price range delivers the same heady mix of beauty, performance and sound.The R version rides on 20-inch wheels, has quad exhaust pipes, performance brakes and special bonnet vents. It has leather sports seats and the switchable sports exhaust.Several items that should be standard on a car this costly include a reversing camera ($1725), heated seats ($1410), digital radio receiver ($600) and a blind spot warning system (along with a collision warning system) ($1500).Warranty: is three years/unlimited kmService: No capped serviceResale: N/A

Raise your hackles, cat people. Jaguar's ruthless F-Type Coupe has arrived, completing the mainstream F range with an emphatic note. Supercharged V6s kick the range off, matching the two specifications of the convertible sibling, but Jaguar haskindly delivered a coupe with the ability to fry tyres, warp minds and carry a little more luggage.Neither V6 could be seen as lethargic but the F-Type R - the only roofed version available for the local first drive - sprints from rest to 100km/h in under 5.0 seconds on to a governed 300km/h top speed.VALUE The 3.0-litre (250kW/450Nm) 'starter' model is $119,900, with 18-inch alloys, leather and suede interior and sports steering wheel. The mid-spec (260kW/460Nm) asks $152,300 and gets the must-have active exhaust as standard, plus adaptive dampers, limited-slip diff, 19-inch alloy wheels and brake upgrade.The 5.0-litre V8 (404kW/ 680Nm) is $219,600, with a leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel, 20-inch alloys, adaptive sports suspension, further brake upgrade (with the $20,000 option of carbon ceramic discs). It hits 100km/h in a raucous 4.2 seconds.DESIGN The coupe has more road presence than the convertible, with the same road footprint - it's a little over 1.9m wide which makes it look aggressive. Muscular yet elegant, the sloping roofline endows cleaner lines to the rear, although it's mini-me pop-up spoiler looks a little dinky compared to the droptop's version.The bodyshell feels strong and the brand's investment in aluminium construction methods seems to be bearing fruit. The coupe's body side is made from a single aluminium pressing, part of a package that is the most torsionally rigid production Jag to date.Bootspace - virtually non-existent in the convertible - improves a little in the coupe. There's up to 407L if you ditch the space-saver spare.ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONThe all-aluminium V8 tops the pops thanks to a Roots-type supercharger fed by two intercoolers. The drive to the rear is distributed by an electronic active differential. Working with torque vectoring braking to fire the big coupe out of bends in a hurry. Its adaptive dampers check body roll by adjusting damper rates up to 500 times a second.SAFETY There are front and side airbags, automatic bi-xenon headlights, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and stability control among the standard fare. However, tyre pressure and blind spot monitoring, parking sensors or reversing camera are amazingly not standard on any F-Type.DRIVING The first local drive was undertaken in the coupe line-up's headline act, the R. From the first full-throttle surge, the vocal blown V8 makes it easy to believe the 4.2-second claim for the sprint to highway speed.The active exhaust brays belligerently, in a lower tone than the supercharged V6 previously sampled, and the noise - combined with the sharp exterior - makes for an A-grade head-turner.m Steering is meaty and the helm even meatier. The snug cabin has little in the way of storage but plenty in the way of style and quality materials.The touchscreen nav and infotainment system is starting to age a little, although it can still crank out a nice noise if you tire of the engine's soundtrack, unlikely though that is. The features list is light-on, given the $200,000-plus sticker. Missing are seat heaters which, along with parking sensors and camera, are standard in much cheaper cars.Ride quality is also not great, even with adaptive damping set to less extreme efforts. The R can fidget in the bends when taken at speed if the bumps come (not dangerously) and the underpinnings still disturb the cabin excessively.Ride-handling compromise is a black art that seems better mastered in Porsche's Cayman and 911, which in price and intent sit either side of it. The pay-off for some will be the theatre of the Jag, the image of the brand and fact that there are not many on the road.