Fewer pots, but the same level of excitement?

Sportscar-makers may be the ones raking in the margins, but they are also the ones that are currently experiencing the proverbial butterflies in the stomach. Cost pressures apart, sportscar-makers today have to contend with more stringent emission regulations and the need to reach a larger cross-section of buyers, including those with a smaller pile of cash and ones who are intimidated by too much power under the hood.

Jaguar’s F-Type really brought the British marquee back into the reckoning in the two-seat sportscar category, one which it was synonymous for during the heydays of the E-Type, its spiritual predecessor. But, with the V6, and the really loud and fast V8 engine that came later as the only two options, the F-Type was beyond reach for many and was rubbing its shapely nose only with the cognoscenti in the business. So, to make the F-Type more accessible and less intimidating, Jaguar introduced the P300 along with the changes to the 2019 model year.

Family ties

Sporting the two-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged Ingenium engine, the F-Type P300 is called the ‘Fiesty younger brother’ by the folks at Jaguar. Elder brothers, like Yours Truly, wouldn’t exactly call a younger sibling as being feisty; it would be more like stubborn. But, I guess cars are a different species and maybe the marketing guys at Jaguar did think this through. So, is the four-pot F-type stubbornly unsatisfactory or is it truly the feisty sibling that delivers much, though it is not as well-endowed?

The F-Type’s design captures classic sportscar proportions and epitomises the emotions evoked by Jaguar classics of the past. Long hood with its tapered nose, the pushed back passenger cabin and the flowing, aerodynamic roofline that ends with the muscular haunches and the pert rear; the F-Type’s design is best appreciated when viewed from the side. In the P300, there are some changes to the front and rear fender, and the front headlamp configuration gets an arrayed stack of LEDs and reflectors with the same signature LED DRLs from the previous year models. The change that is not so subtle is the large rectangular single exhaust pipe in the middle of the rear fender, instead of the trumpet-shaped twins in the V6. It also gets a fresh set of 19-inch alloys in a new design.

The cabin feels similar to the V6 model, except for a few trim variations. My test mule was the R Dynamic variant, which had its own set of badges and trim additions. The touch of drama with the airconditioning vents at the top of the centre stack rising up and out of the dashboard is there in the P300 too. The sports seats with contoured bolsters and the driver-focussed centre console have been carried forward pretty much untouched from the bigger-engined siblings. The chunky, flat-bottomed, leather-clad steering wheel is great to hold and use.

Same spirit

I started out from Mumbai’s crowded streets; plodding slowly around other vehicles and curious onlookers. The F-Type P300 is easy to manoeuvre through narrow lanes and u-turns even though the steering feels a bit heavy at these speeds. In a couple of hours, I’m outside Mumbai heading up to the hills near Lonavla and the F-Type stretches its legs on the Expressway. Other Jags and Rangies like the XE, Evoque and Discovery Sport already have the versatile Ingenium engine. In the F-Type, it is turbo-charged and paired with a eight-speed automatic gearbox with a rated peak output of 300 PS and 400 Nm of peak torque.

Peak torque kicks in from a low 1,500 rpm and stays till 4,500 rpm, and the engine revs without hesitation. The P300 feels surprisingly quick, though it is not anywhere close to the kind of white-knuckled, effortless acceleration that you’ll experience in the V8. The front-mounted engine, rear wheel drive set-up could potentially lead to understeer, but with a near equal weight distribution and torque vectoring available, the car holds its poise during fast cornering. All 296 horses become available at 5,500 rpm, but there is more than an adequate band of power in the middle to exploit even on a race track.

In general, the F-Type four-pot two-litre’s handling and ride quality feel similar to the V6. The steering is precise, responsive and offers good feedback and feels a tad lighter at cruising speeds. The suspension has been tuned well too, with a consistent, firm ride quality over smooth and broken tarmac. It probably helps that the two-litre F-Type is about 50 kg lighter than the V6 and more than 100 kg lighter than the V8. Suspension set-up changes supposedly also include minor changes to the spring rates.

Bottom Line

The bigger worry during my test drive were the speed breakers. The F-Type V6 and V8 engine variants are seriously loud; bordering on excess even during idling. In fact, I remember asking Jag engineers if the decibel-levels were not in violation of local laws in Europe where we were driving the V6 just before its launch. The two-litre F-Type doesn’t sound as exciting during idling or slow speeds. But, it has an active exhaust and engaging it before some quick acceleration brings out a fairly interesting exhaust note. Put pedal to metal and a mildly muffled growl seeps into the cabin as do a series of burbles and pops when you ease your foot or use the paddles to shift down.

Despite the smaller engine, the Jaguar F-Type P300 manages to keep the spirit alive, offering a fairly agile package that would give even seasoned drivers an adrenaline rush. It may not wake up your neighbours, but it is visually almost as stunning as the V8 (P300 even gets the active rear spoiler). But priced under ₹1 crore, the P300 is much less than even half as expensive as the V8. That will surely make it interesting.

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