With its strident exhaust note, beautiful looks, and effective engine options, the Jaguar F-Type is a one hell of a driven grand tourer that’s done a lot for the British automaker’s brand popularity. And while sales are still not so impressive behind the Porsche 911, it has sold pretty enough to get a second generation. But when the revamped F-Type finally does show up, it will at least be provided with a hybrid option, if not all-electric.
During the interview Automotive News, Ian Callum, Jaguar’s head of design, stated the automaker has no plans to let the F-Type die off. “We are going to do another range of cars eventually,” he stated. “[Sports cars] are not going to disappear.”
Callum also added that he does not see performance SUVs ever replacing smaller coupes. “There are a number of people worldwide who think cars are finished because SUVs can get around a corner as fast as a sports car can, technology being what it is,” he stated. “But there is something extremely emotional about a sports car that conveys the ultimate in the sense of performance and style.”
There’s still no official timeline for when the revamped Jaguar F-Type will show up, however when it does, it won’t be exempt from Jaguar’s strategies to electrify its entire range. “Every brand-new vehicle released after 2020 will have some kind of electrification,” stated Joe Eberhardt, Jaguar Land Rover’s North American CEO. “That is full electrical, plug-in hybrid, or mild hybrids.”
Eberhardt didn’t informed which form of electrification will be provided on the next-generation F-Type, however Jaguar just recently displayed a fully electric Jaguar E-Type (see the image). It could be a real one-off, but then it could also be a hint at the direction Jaguar plans to take the F-Type. In any case, it seems like we need to at least expect automaker’s next sports car to be a hybrid.
