The old statement “there’s no replacement for displacement” is about as valid these days as a “Turbo” button on a PC. Apparently, Jaguar Land Rover is up to speed on this outdated thinking, as a new report claims that it will move toward three-cylinder engines. Along with this report is the claim that Jaguar->ke39 will move away from V-6 engine and back to inline-six powerplants.

With modern electronics and ever-improving turbocharging technology, small-displacement engines are putting out more ponies per liter than ever before. According to the report, Land Rover->ke46 will use a new line of Ingenium three-cylinder engines to power the Evoque->ke3666, 2016 Discovery Sport, and F-Pace.->ke5038 Jaguar will also get in on the three-pot fun with future versions of the XE.->ke3138

There is no mention of when these three-cylinder engines will be ready for production, but it shouldn’t be too long.

As for Jag’s movement back to inline-six engines, that will happen sooner than later, likely sometime after 2016. Jaguar will utilize its signature long hood to house a more fuel-efficient turbocharged I-6 engine. In addition to fuel savings, this movement to I-6 engines will hark back to Jaguars of yesteryear, giving nostalgia buffs a reason to love the British brand once again.

We’ll bring you more details as they roll out.

Continue reading to learn more about these new JLR engines.

Why it matters

Large-displacement engines that are heavy, suck down fuel like mad and spew CO2 on a grand scale are outdated. Much like electronic fuel injection did to carburetors and mechanical fuel injection, modern technology is making displacement obsolete. There are still a few manufacturers holding out, but most are succumbing to the ever-tightening emission and fuel-economy regulations around the world by reducing displacement and replacing it with forced induction.

Jaguar Land Rover, being a relatively low-volume automaker, needs to be ahead of the curve when it comes to these new regulations. The early introduction of these three-cylinder engines and the more efficient I-6 engines is just one way it can do that.

2017 Jaguar XE

Read our full review here.