- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 2 seats
- Engine
3.0SC, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
280kW, 460Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Jaguar F-Type S Coupe new car review
Enzo Ferrari allegedly once described the Jaguar E-Type as the most beautiful car in the world, which is no faint praise coming from the master of Maranello and the father of some of the world's most iconic motor cars.
The British brand has long toyed with rekindling the stature of the E-Type with a modern two-seater sports car. But, even under the umbrella of one the world's largest car makers when it was owned by Ford, it never managed to turn any number of concept cars into a production reality.
That is until now with its F-Type, which first arrived in Australia last year in roadster form and has now been joined by a hard-top coupe that more closely resembles the E-Type's original character.
What do you get?
Like the roadster, the Coupe is initially available in three model grades that are almost mirrored in terms of specifications and mechanical underpinnings.
But, unlike its prime rival in Porsche which charges more for its Cayman over the soft-top Boxster, the F-Type Coupe undercuts the roadster with the base-model costing almost $20,000 less at $119,430 plus on-road costs.
The mid-spec V6 S we're testing here is a considerable jump in price at $151,830 plus on-roads while the flagship V8-powered F-Type R rounds out the initial range and leaps into territory occupied by the Porsche 911 at $219,130 plus on-roads.
All three models are rear-wheel drive and have an eight-speed automatic transmission, come with four airbags, rear parking sensors, bi-Xenon headlamps, LED tail lights, cruise control, keyless entry and push button start, climate control air con and an eight-inch colour touchscreen with Bluetooth audio and phone streaming as well as sat nav.
Apart from more power from its supercharged 3.0-litre V6, the S picks up a few unique features over the base model such as adaptive suspension, a mechanical limited slip differential, active sports exhaust, red brake callipers, leather seat trim and orange shift paddles on the steering wheel.
But, like most models in the Jaguar range, there's a long and expensive list of options to choose from. And our test car had more than $26,000 worth of added extras including 20-inch alloys, performance seats in premium leather and a panoramic sunroof. Even the switch to activate the sports exhaust costs an extra $260, where it really should be standard.
What's inside?
The F-Type is not only a dramatic car to look at, but it has an element of theatre about getting into its two-seater cockpit that few cars can match.
It all starts when you press the key fob to unlock the car and its flush-fitting door handles pop out of the doors, and continues when you drop into the snug-fitting seats into the driver-focused cockpit.
From there, the starter button pulses in anticipation of firing the engine into life and, when done, the tacho needle spins through the rev range and the air conditioning vents rise from the middle of the dash.
The driving position is set low, the dished three-spoke steering wheel falls nicely to hand and the rifle-shot gearlever is shrouded by the anodised switch for the exhaust and a volume knob for the audio system. To amplify the driver-focused nature, there's also a grab handle on the passenger side.
The cabin is cloaked in a quality mix of dark materials with lashings of leather complemented by fake carbon-fibre, aluminium and the orange anodised parts with matching stitching. And it looks even better at night with its ambient lighting showering the cabin in shades of colour.
Like all two-seater sports cars there's not much in the way of storage space within the cabin, with a covered set of cupholders and a shallow bin in the centre console and small door pockets. But the Coupe's hard-top roof and hatchback opening at least improves the boot space over the roadster from an almost useless 196L to 315L – although both only come with a space saver spare tyre.
Under the bonnet
While the range-topping V8 produces more grunt in the hard-top F-Type compared to its roofless sibling, both of the V6 engines generate the same power in the Coupe variants.
As it is in the roadster, the S generates 280kW from its supercharged 3.0-litre V6 which endows it with enough shove to accelerate from 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.9 seconds.
But, even though the supercharger provides more instant response than turbos which require pressure build-up through the exhaust system, the F-Type can't match the low-rev pulling power of modern turbo motors with its maximum torque output of 460Nm achieved relatively high in the rev range at 3500rpm.
Still, in reality, it revs smoothly and builds up pace quickly with a gloriously rich exhaust note emitted from the twin tailpipes that burbles when you back off the throttle.
There's three modes within the dynamic settings that change the characteristics of the engine, with the winter mode providing a gentle progression of power to prevent wheelspin in slippery conditions. In stark contrast, the Sport mode – which turns the dash from blue to racey red – sharpens the throttle response to the point where it feels strung on a leash.
As for consumption, Jaguar claims the V6 S Coupe has an average fuel economy of 8.8L/100km which is hard to match when the engine is so enticing to rev out and hear its growl. We saw just over 10L/100km during our time in the car over a mixture of city and freeway driving.
On the road
Although the F-Type Coupe is built largely from lightweight aluminium, it isn't a complete featherweight with an above average kerb weight of 1577kg.
But having a hard top roof does mean the Coupe is both lighter (by 20kg) and more rigid than the convertible, which improves on its already high level of road holding.
The electric power steering is light but precise with instant response to inputs and a good level of feedback when pushed through the bends, where the F-Type sits relatively flat with a generous level of grip from both ends of the car. The mechanical differential also provides great traction under heavy acceleration and a more controllable progression when the back-end breaks away.
The adaptive suspension helps iron out some of the smallest bumps when in its most comfortable setting, but the F-Type's overall demeanour is clearly biased towards cornering rather than outright comfort.
Verdict
The F-Type Coupe is one of the most dramatic new sports cars in a generation and seamlessly transcends the head-turning ability of the E-Type into the modern era.
In isolation, it showcases the rapid progression of Jaguar under its Tata ownership as it is not only beautiful to look at but thoroughly engaging to drive in V6 S form.
But it isn't without its flaws, particularly if you're shopping it against its direct rival in the Cayman which is cheaper, faster, lighter, more efficient and more practical.
Jaguar F-Type S Coupe pricing and specifications
Price: $151,830 plus on-road and dealer costs
Country of origin: Great Britain
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol
Power: 280kW at 6500rpm
Torque: 460Nm at 3500-5000rpm
CO2 emissions: 205g/km
Fuel use: 8.8L/100km
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Weight: 1577kg
Safety: 4 airbags; stability control