Jaguar has launched the F-Type Convertible in India. The Jaguar F-Type has been in the news for a long time, the company teasing new details about the car throughout 2012 and now this amazing sports car has arrived in India.
Price
There will be two variants of the F-Type on sale in India.
Jaguar F-Type S is priced at Rs. 1.37 crore
Jaguar F-Type V8 S is priced at Rs. 1.61 crore
The base F-Type has not been launched in India.
“The Jaguar F-Type is our all-new, two seater sports car and we believe it will be a game changer for the Indian sports car market. With its stunning design and driver focused engineering, this car will further enhance the appeal of our brand and I am confident that it will arouse senses and stir emotions like no other car in India,” said Mr. Rohit Suri, Vice President, Jaguar & Land Rover India during the launch.
Exterior
Its not that easy to explain how the F-Type looks, Breathtaking? Sexy? Stunning? Name the sensation yourself, one thing is for sure that the F-Type is quite a looker. The car is based on the Jaguar C-X16 concept which was showcased in India during the 2012 Auto Expo held in Delhi. It is the spiritual successor of the iconic E-Type which was launched 50 years ago.
The Jaguar F-Type is 4470mm long, 1923mm wide and 1308mm tall, but the clever design of the car fools the eyes into believing it is more compact than that. At the front you are greeted by a huge grille, finished in black and highlighted by a chrome surround, with the growling Jaguar logo in the centre. You get additional air-intakes beside the grille and an air-splitter below it. The swept-back headlamps look elegant and the LED daylight running lamps found along the outer edge give it a sinister look both in the day or night. You’ll find creases on the bonnet, two of them creating a bulge along the centre to give a very masculine look to the car.
Come to the side and you see the typical sports car philosophy being followed, a long front section followed by a short cabin and ending in a stubby rear. The best way to enjoy the lines and the design of the car is to see it with the top down, the fabric soft-top doesn’t do the F-Type any justice and should be deployed only when the weather gets handy. At the side you’ll notice the vent between the front wheel and the door, the large rear-view mirrors which feature integrated turn indicators, the recessed door handles which pop up when required which increase the aerodynamics of the car, the slight upward kink above the rear wheels and the sharp rear with the wraparound tail-lamps.
The most attractive view of the F-type is when you look at the car from the back. It is less fussy than the front, and the most striking highlight are the long tail-lamps (which hark back to the E-Type) . The other elements that catch you attention are the chrome tail-pipes, two large ones at the centre on the V6 S and the four pipes (grouped into two on either side) on the V8 S. The F-Type gets an active rear-spoiler which opens up when the car goes above 95 KMPH to keep the car steady, at other times it fits nicely onto the top of the boot to give the car a nice clean look. There is a diffuser below the bumper that also helps the car steady at higher speeds.
Interior
It’s a mixed story on the inside, the F-type is both sporty and luxurious. The cabin is mostly driver centric, most of the controls are angled slightly towards the driver and there are many design elements which re-enforce the fact that the F-Type is a car that will cater to the driving enthusiast.
The chunky three-spoke steering wheel features buttons to control the infotainment system as well as the cruise control, behind which you’ll find the gear paddles. The seats are very low, but comfortable and supportive. The centre console is dominated by a large multi-function screen, below which you will find dual-function A/C controls, further below you’ll find the gear stalk to control the Quickshift automatic dual-clutch transmission which is flanked by the launch control button, further back are the controls for the convertible roof, parking brake etc. The push start button is highlighted in orange, and sits close to the driver’s side of the centre console.
Like every Jaguar, the F-Type too has the ‘coming alive’ gimmickry, whereby when the car is switched on the centre air-vents rise up from the dashboard. Necessary? No. Unique? Oh yes!
Engines and Transmission
The F-Type is available with two engine options: a 3.0 litre V6 and a 5.0 litre V8.
The 2995 cc, supercharged V6 engine produces 376 BHP of power and 339 Nm of torque. This can propel the 1614 Kg car from 0 to 100 KMPH in 4.9 seconds and take it all the way to a top speed of 262 KMPH. Jaguar claims that the V6 engine can return a fuel economy of 10.89 KMPL. Coupled to a 72 litre fuel tank, the Jaguar F-Type V6 S has an effective range of about 700 KM.
The 5000 cc, supercharged V8 engine produces 488 BHP of power and 460 Nm of torque, which gives the 1665 Kg sports car a 0-100 KMPH time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 299 KMPH. The engine returns a fuel economy of about 9 KMPL. Coupled to a 72 litre fuel tank, the Jaguar F-Type V8 S has an effective range of about 600 KM.
Both the engines are mated to an eight-speed dual clutch Quickshift transmission, which provides quick gear changes when required.
