New F-TYPE has landed

The new Jaguar F-TYPE has arrived in South Africa looking even more dramatic than ever and embodying Jaguar design DNA in its purest form.

Inside, the driver-focused cabin envelops its occupants with luxurious materials such as Sienna Tan Windsor Leather, Suedecloth, Alcantara, and satin-finish Noble Chrome, while Jaguar’s craftsmanship is embodied in beautiful details such as monogram stitching on the seats and door trim.

The cockpit now features a 12.3-inch reconfigurable HD TFT instrument cluster, with graphics unique to F-TYPE. This offers a choice of display themes, including full map but, as befits a true sports car, the default mode is characterised by the large central rev-counter.

This feature and the gearshift light subtly convey the F-TYPE’s character and performance potential, digitally enhancing the mechanical theatre of the pulsing red ‘heartbeat’ of the start button and the deployable centre air vents. The responsive, intuitive Touch Pro infotainment system’s 10-inch touchscreen, matched to three tactile rotary controllers, offers the perfect balance of analogue and digital driver controls. A smartphone pack featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is offered as standard equipment.

Lightweight slimline seats combine an ergonomically-optimised form for your comfort, further enhanced by heating and cooling options. The seats come in two forms: Sport and Performance. F-TYPE R-Dynamic models come with the purest Sports version as standard, while the Performance seat has more pronounced support at shoulder height, and is standard on the R and First Edition models.

Available throughout the first year of production, the First Edition version adds 20” Diamond Turned alloys, ‘First Edition’ scripting on the door tread plates and aluminium instrument panel finisher, a black contrast roof (on the Coupé) and Windsor leather Performance seats in a choice of Ebony with Light Oyster stitching or Mars Red with Flame stitching. The First Edition is available in three colours – Fuji White, Santorini Black or Eiger Grey, and is available exclusively in P380 all-wheel drive form.

Rich materials such as Windsor leather add a further touch of luxury, complemented by details such as the beautifully-crafted monogram stitch pattern – repeated in the door trim – and Jaguar Leaper and R motifs in the headrests. The seat belt guides are finished with discreet ‘Jaguar Est. 1935 markings’, which are proudly repeated on the glovebox release button surround. This subtle reference signifies the year the Jaguar name was first used by company founder Sir William Lyons to brand one of his beautiful cars.

Form follows function, and one of a Jaguar’s functions is to look beautiful. Evolved from its predecessor’s World Car Design-winning form, the new F-TYPE’s breath-taking looks are characterised by the super-slim Pixel LED headlights, which enhance the car’s purposeful, confident stance.

Jaguar’s Signature J daytime running lights now feature a calligraphy graphic: slim along the horizontal element of the light guide, and then widening as it sweeps upwards – as if a stroke from an art brush. Running along the J is an exquisitely-detailed monogram pattern, inspired by Jaguar’s heritage logo. The light graphic accentuates the car’s visual width and hints at its performance potential.

Inside the light cluster are four LED modules, each resembling a perfectly-crafted gemstone. Again, form follows function: Pixel technology intelligently links the windscreen-mounted stereo camera to the lights’ controller. This allows every LED to be switched off or dimmed to produce a high beam which masks out oncoming vehicles to ensure your dazzle doesn’t affect other drivers, while allowing excellent illumination of the road ahead.

A subtly enlarged grille accentuates the new F-TYPE’s visual presence. The proportions of the classic form remain, but it is now wider and deeper and with a new hexagonal mesh pattern, each cell gloss black at the front and satin black on the inner surfaces. The surround is finished as standard in Noble Chrome, or gloss black when the Black Pack or Black Design Pack is specified.

The bumpers are new, and introduce bolder surfaces with discreet signature graphics to enhance the overall design and provide greater differentiation across the model range, from F-TYPE R-Dynamic to F-TYPE R. R-Dynamic models gain layered J aero-blades, which, as well as referencing a racing influence, also help to guide the airflow more cleanly around the front of the car, and R models feature gloss black bezels around the apertures, making the car look even more assertive.

A new clamshell bonnet design sweeps elegantly back from the slimline LED headlights. The surfaces are softer and more organic than before, as if they were liquid metal – inspired by the beautiful flowing forms of models from Jaguar’s rich 84-year history, such as the C-type and D-type. The air vents are positioned further forward for greater efficiency, and blend perfectly into the sculpted aluminium that surrounds them. Further back, the fender vents now proudly feature the Jaguar Leaper.

The LED rear light clusters have been subtly updated too. Now slimmer, to match the headlights, they feature a bolder, ‘Chicane’ light graphic introduced by the all-electric I-PACE performance SUV. Beneath is a fine pinstripe detail and, like the headlights, an intricate pattern formed of the heritage monogram. Instead of the predecessor’s stepped form, the outer lenses are now smooth, integrating even more harmoniously into the sweep of the rear deck.

Reversing the taper formed by the rear number plate recess, together with the reprofiled bumper, draws the eye downwards to enhance visual width and give the car an even more purposeful, planted stance. In a first for Jaguar, the rear badges gain a contemporary gloss black finish when the Black Pack or Black Design Pack is specified.

Powertrain-specific exhaust pipes emerge from the rear diffuser, clearly signalling the new
F-TYPE’s performance intent. The 221kW P300 four-cylinder features a single, central, quadrilateral finisher, while the 280kW P380 V6 Supercharged is distinguished by its two large round tailpipes. The 423kW P575 V8 Supercharged is identified by quad, outboard exhausts with R branding.

Whichever model you choose, all can be made even more exclusive by specifying one of the 16 paints in the SVO Premium Palette: Ligurian Black, Ethereal Silver, Ionian Silver, Sunset Gold, Petrolix Blue, Velocity Blue, Tourmaline Brown, Desire, Sanguinello Orange, Atacama Orange, Sorrento Yellow, Constellation, Icy White, Flux Grey, Malachite Green and Amethyst. Each is available with the choice of gloss or satin, resulting in an exceptionally smooth finish and dramatic depth of colour.

Coupé prices:

F-TYPE R-Dynamic P300 RWD                    R1,243,000

F-TYPE R-Dynamic P380 RWD                    R1,513,700

F-TYPE R-Dynamic P380 AWD                    R1,659,300

F-TYPE First Edition P380 AWD                 R1,659,300

F-TYPE R P575 AWD                                       R2,422,700

Convertible prices:

F-TYPE R-Dynamic P300 RWD                    R1,241,000

F-TYPE R-Dynamic P380 RWD                    R1,511,800

F-TYPE R-Dynamic P380 AWD                    R1,652,800

F-TYPE First Edition P380 AWD                 R1,652,800

F-TYPE R P575 AWD                                      R2,421,000