[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/supercars\/downsized-jaguar-ftype-reviews\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/supercars\/downsized-jaguar-ftype-reviews\/","headline":"Jaguar\u2019s downsized entry-level F-Type reviews","name":"Jaguar\u2019s downsized entry-level F-Type reviews","description":"Few people envied Jaguar\u2019s design and engineering team when they were tasked with creating the big car\u2019s next important sports car. The iconic D and E-Type rightly have their place in automotive history so doing justice to that lineage whilst delivering something modern was a massive task. Luckily, the F-Type was bang on the money, arriving as a progressive sports car without forgetting its heritage. It first came as a soft-top convertible, then a fixed-roof coupe, then as the raging […]","datePublished":"2017-08-29","dateModified":"2017-08-30","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/jaguar-f-type-2-litre-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/jaguar-f-type-2-litre-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/supercars\/downsized-jaguar-ftype-reviews\/","about":["PERFORMANCE CARS","SUPERCARS"],"wordCount":718,"keywords":["jaguar","Jaguar F-Type","Jaguar F-Type 2 Litre","Jaguar F-Type R","Jaguar Land Rover","sportscar"],"articleBody":"Few people envied Jaguar\u2019s design and engineering team when they were tasked with creating the big car\u2019s next important sports car. The iconic D and E-Type rightly have their place in automotive history so doing justice to that lineage whilst delivering something modern was a massive task.Luckily, the F-Type was bang on the money, arriving as a progressive sports car without forgetting its heritage.It first came as a soft-top convertible, then a fixed-roof coupe, then as the raging 3.5-second high-performance SVR in both bodystyles, and now, following the facelift treatment, we\u2019re getting a new entry-level model.With a price tag just short of \u00a350k, describing it as \u2018affordable\u2019 might seem ridiculous for most of us, but it\u2019s the F-Type\u2019s lowest price to date. But is this model – driven by the same two-litre four-pot 296bhp Ingenium petrol engine as the Discovery Sport – any good? The British motoring press is about to let you know\u2026MuzzledAuto Express admitted that the idea of an intentionally muzzled and modest engine in a relatively heavy car like the F-Type seemed destined for disappointment, but they were impressed, awarding it four out of five stars.One notable drawback is that the two-litre engine is less audibly raucous than its V6 and V8 counterparts, with a much more polite soundtrack.However, the motoring weekly commended Jag\u2019s engineers for squeezing plenty of personality out of the four-pot.They also liked how the engine took advantage of the car\u2019s lighter weight, sharpening up the steering and delivering greater fuel efficiency. One thing they weren\u2019t sold on though was the laughable notion that this was a \u2018value\u2019 car.The two-litre F-Type is only available as an eight-speed automatic, which AE deemed \u201ca pity\u201d because a manual option would have contributed further to the 52kg weight saving already unlocked by the smaller engine. Would anyone have bought it though? Probably not, barely one in 20 F-Types pack a stick shift.Price predicamentAutocar – who also gave it four stars – shared AE\u2019s disappointment at the engine\u2019s subdued soundtrack, recalling that Porsche\u2019s 718 Cayman – another downsized four-cylinder car – suffered from the same issue.On the plus side though, any Jag fans who \u201chave easily irritated neighbours and early starts, perhaps this is the version for you\u201d.Despite being notably more hushed than other F-Types, Autocar didn\u2019t note any issue with the car\u2019s power delivery, with peak torque coming early from 1,500rpm and hanging around until 4,500rpm.Jaguar claims this smaller F-Type can polish off 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds, but Autocar says it \u201cseldom feels like a five-something car\u201d. As such, it lands in similar territory as the Honda Civic Type R, which retails \u00a320k cheaper.No nasty surprisesTop Gear reckons the F-Type feels like a \u201ctangibly different product\u201d with the daintier engine, and \u201cnoticeably more trustworthy than the V6 and V8\u201d.\u201cI\u2019ve never driven an F-Type harder than this one,\u201d wrote TG\u2019s Stephen Dobie, who put this down to it being front-wheel-drive rather than all-wheel-drive.He labelled it as \u201can F-Type you can drive with lots of confidence [and] no fear of the rear axle giving you a nasty surprise\u201d, something the early V8s certainly couldn\u2019t claim.Pistonheads felt kinda sorry for the four-pot F-Type, noting that while its six- and eight-cylinder iterations had their own niche, this newly castrated model \u201ccould struggle against the more direct opposition it now faces\u201d.Should you buy one?Autocar wasn\u2019t convinced, summing up their predicament with this analogy: \u201cLittle brothers are great and all. But they\u2019re usually better once they\u2019ve grown up a bit.\u201dAuto Express hailed it a strong GT car with a well-judged ride and their main gripe was the price, which easily crept past \u00a360k in R-Dynamic spec with bigger alloys and LED lights. Considering the equivalent V6 is just \u00a33,000 more, it\u2019s a tough sell, especially when the lighter and faster Boxster starts from under \u00a345k.Top Gear appreciated why Jaguar would conjure a four-pot F-Type, but as the car\u2019s excitement was one of its major selling points, it just made them pine for the V6 and V8.Would you still like to see a four-cylinder F-Type on your drive? Let us know in the comments below. 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