Around since 2013, the F-Type is Jaguar’s newest sports car, a spiritual successor to the E-Type, and an all-out replacement for the XK. Up until now, you could get it with a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 that’s tuned to deliver either 340 horsepower in entry-level form or 380 horsepower in S form. Or you could get a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 tuned to deliver either 550 horsepower or 575 ponies if you went with the range-topping SVR trim. Prices ranged anywhere from about $61,000 to more than $125,000 for the SVR, but as fate would have it, the F-type just might get a little more affordable and easier to obtain by those without deep pockets.

So, what’s the big deal here? Well, the F-Type is now going to be offered in entry-level form with a four-cylinder engine. But, don’t go freaking out, punching walls, or setting shit on fire just yet. See, the new four-cylinder in question is a 2.0-liter turbo with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque on tap. Not bad, huh? Jaguar hasn’t mentioned where maximum horsepower kicks in within the powerband, but all of that torque is available at an excessively low 1,500 rpm – obviously, made possible by a healthy dose of turbo goodness. Power will be routed to the wheels via an eight-speed Quickshift automatic.

Sounds pretty wild, right? Well, keep reading to learn more about this new, all-aluminum, Ingenium engine and what makes it tick.

Continue reading for the full story.

Pushing Four Cylinders to the Max

First, let’s talk about the turbocharger. It’s a twin-scroll unit that’s mated directly to the exhaust manifold, which is in turn integrated directly into the cylinder head casting. Cooling that flows through the exhaust manifold helps to reduce warm-up times, which contributes to better fuel efficiency and emissions. The turbo is actually fed by two inlet ducts – one duct is fed from cylinders one and three while the other is fed from two and four. This cuts down on exhaust pulsation and allows the turbo to spool up and respond quicker than the usual configuration. Boost pressure is almost instant, and turbo lag is greatly reduced without having to use a smaller electric unit to compensate. The turbo itself makes use of ceramic ball bearings, a first for Jaguar, and something that helps cut back internal friction – something we all know is a killer when it comes to performance and reliability.

The engine itself runs at 200 bar, or 2,900.75 psi. This pressure isn’t uncommon with turbocharged gasoline engines these days, but is still high, nonetheless. The oil pump is variable with its flow rate matched to engine speed, load, and temperature, while the piston crowns are only sprayed with oil for cooling when necessary – lightening the load on the lubrication system while increasing efficiency. What’s even more interesting, however, is the electrohydraulic valvetrain system. It uses Jaguar-specific algorithms to control valve lift for the best power, torque, and combustion efficiency. Instead of using the throttle valve to control load, this engine uses valve lift to control load by varying the lift and how long the intake valves are open. As such, the intake camshafts actually actuate the compact hydraulic pumps, which then builds pressure to open and close the valves.

All told, the four-cylinder F-Type should be able to hit 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and will top out at 155 mph. That makes it 0.3 seconds slower to 60 mph than the entry-level model now or 0.1-second faster that the current entry model with a manual transmission. That 155 mph top speed falls just six mph short of the 161 mph offered by the current entry model. There’s no word on where the new entry-level model will be priced, but with the current model starting at around $61,000, this new entry-level model should be priced anywhere between $50,000 and $55,000, but hopefully closer to the $50k mark.

To me, all of this technology and electrohydraulic valvetrain crap sounds a little sketchy. If one of those pumps fail, it sounds like it could be an expensive repair – one of the main reasons nobody has jumped on the electric valvetrain concept too quickly. On top of that, nearly 300 ponies from a 2.0-liter is pretty intense, and I have no choice but to wonder just how reliable this engine will be. I mean, we’re talking nearly 75 horses per cylinder and nearly 150 horses per liter. That’s a lot from a small, all-aluminum engine.

What do you think, though? Are you stoked that you’ll be able to get into an F-Type cheaper? What do you think about the potential reliability issues with this engine? Let us know in the comments section below.