Jaguar in no rush to add hybrid models

Nick Miller, Jaguar chief programme engineer for the all-new XE – the first model fitted with the company’s new Ingenium engines, initially with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel capable of just 3.8 litres per 100 kilometres – said the brand isn’t rushing towards a hybridised future, particularly in the mid-size luxury car segment.

“We haven’t put a timeline on it,” Miller said. “The Ingenium engine range has been designed to link in with all the different kinds of hybrid technology that are out there.”

In the XE’s segment, there are some cars with hybrid technology. Japanese competitors such as the Lexus IS and Infiniti Q50 both offer petrol-electric series hybrid variants, while BMW’s ActiveHybrid 3 (petrol-electric) and the diesel-electric Mercedes-Benz C300 also fly the green flag.

Furthermore, Audi’s next-generation A4 and the recently launched new Mercedes-Benz C-Class are both set to adopt even greener plug-in hybrid systems, likely by 2016.

“We’ve demonstrated a couple with the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, so we, as JLR, are deploying it right now,” Miller said of the diesel-electric hybrid SUVs revealed in 2013. “In terms of when we apply that to XE segment, honestly we don’t know, because we’ve got the technology and we will choose to apply it when we want,” he said.

Miller suggested the Ingenium diesel’s low-consumption, low-emissions bent should be enough to appease those who are conscious of their environmental impact.

“At this point in time, delivering the 99-gram diesel engine, we think for this class of car that is a really good place to be. And we don’t need to put in the hybrid technology at this point.

“In terms of fuel economy and in terms of saving tax, especially in Europe, that delivers alright – why put the weight and the expense of a hybrid system?”

Jaguar’s chief engineer of the Ingenium engine family, Paul Whitwood, said the new powertrain range has been designed with hybrid in mind from the beginning.

“We’d be crazy to develop an engine family that wasn’t hybrid-proof,” Whitwood said. “Anything from mild hybrids to full plug-ins, Ingenium will support that.” Whitwood said the brand will introduce a new Ingenium engine every three to six months over the coming two and a half years.