With its raucous exhaust note, gorgeous looks, and powerful engine options, the Jaguar F-Type is an emotionally driven grand tourer that’s done a lot for the British automaker’s brand image. And while sales still lag significantly behind the Porsche 911, it has sold well enough to get a second generation. But when the redesigned F-Type finally does arrive, it’ll at least be offered with a hybrid option, if not full-electric.
Speaking to Automotive News, Ian Callum, Jaguar’s head of design, said his company has no plans to let the F-Type die off. “We are going to do another range of sports cars eventually,” he said. “[Sports cars] are not going to go away.”
Callum also added that he doesn’t see performance SUVs ever replacing low-slung coupes. “There are a number of people in the world who think sports cars are finished because SUVs can get around a corner as quick as a sports car can, technology being what it is,” he said. “But there is something very emotional about a sports car that conveys the ultimate in the sense of performance and design.”
There’s still no official timeline for when the redesigned F-Type will get here, but when it does, it won’t be exempt from Jaguar’s plans to electrify its entire range. “Every new car launched after 2020 will have some form of electrification,” said Joe Eberhardt, Jaguar Land Rover’s North American CEO. “That is full electric, plug-in hybrid, or mild hybrids.”
Eberhardt didn’t say which form of electrification will be offered on the next-generation F-Type, but Jaguar did recently show off a fully electric E-Type (pictured below). It could be a true one-off, but it could also easily be a hint at the direction Jaguar intends to take the F-Type. Either way, it sounds like we should at least expect Jaguar’s next sports car to be a hybrid.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)
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