Currently reading: The Jaguar XF for 2020
New 1.8-litre engine with 240bhp and 100g/km of CO2 planned

A diesel-powered Jaguar XF with CO2 emissions of just 100g/km will be in production by 2020, according to the company’s chief powertrain engineer.

Ron Lee said the plan will involve Jaguar dropping today’s V6 diesel powerplant for a 1.8-litre four-pot producing 240bhp, and driving a nine-speed auto ’box.

Future petrol XFs will get a four-cylinder unit of between 1.5 and 1.8 litres, expected to produce 170bhp per litre.

The cost of producing such engines could mean the 1.8 litre will need to be widely used to achieve economies of scale, and it could end up in Land Rovers.

Lee also revealed that much of the research into the engines will be carried out by Leeds and Loughborough universities.

JLR plans to mix fuel-saving technologies. Lee said that in 2020 over 70 per cent of XF sales could be made up from 100g/km models. Older, large-engined variants and hybrids would make up another 10 per cent each.

To get to the XF of 2020, Jaguar will introduce a new 2.2-litre four-pot diesel with stop-start and an eight-speed auto ’box. This combination will offer the same performance as the original 2.7-litre Jaguar V6 diesel, but with CO2 emissions of 150g/km.

A more efficient 2.0-litre version of this engine is pencilled in for 2016, with an upgraded turbo and low-friction internals. When combined with a new electrical power steering system and a ‘lighter’ XF body, it should emit 130g/km of CO2.

The final move to 100g/km will come in 2020, with the new high-power, 1.8-litre engine.

2020 Jaguar XF tech

Active aerodynamics

Low Cd figures are a must for future cars, so lots of work will go into reducing turbulence around the wheels. Active aerodynamics will involve moving spoilers and diffusers.

Nine-speed auto ’box

The new nine-speed auto could be connected to the car’s cooling system, to help warm the oil more quickly. This would reduce internal friction and load on the engine just after start-up.

Lighter body

Plans for a ‘lighter’ XF in 2016 are still shrouded in secrecy, but this could be the point at which the XF switches to an all-aluminium platform from today’s steel. If not, Jaguar could save weight by fitting all-aluminium doors and an aluminium boot lid.

Quieter drivetrains

“We’ll need to engineer very sophisticated dampers, engine mounts and absorbers for new engines and drivetrains,” said Lee. “We’ll also have to work on sound quality management to make sure the engine sounds good.”

Strong engines

The high-output four-cylinders will use new materials (including the block and bearings) and construction techniques (especially block stiffness and headgasket design) to cope with the massive stresses associated with huge power densities. “These engines will have to be mechanically very strong,” said Lee. Ancillaries can also be “placed more flexibly” because space is liberated through engine downsizing.

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review

The Jaguar XF is a sublime British executive saloon. It has a tremendous interior and even greater dynamics

Back to top

Friction reduced

Aside from low-resistance tyres, low-friction wheel bearings will have to be designed. Low-friction brakes, which do not allow the pads to drag against the discs, are also possible.

Advanced cooling

Cooling systems for the new engines will have to mark another huge step forward, says Lee. Thirty per cent of the engine’s output is lost in heat and dispersing this from a four-cylinder is more difficult than from a six-cylinder.

Follow us on FacebookSee all the latest Jaguar XF reviews, news and video

Join the debate

Comments
19
Add a comment…
lilianna 4 April 2014

Good choice of engines though

Good choice of engines though and maybe it will keep Renault afloat in the UK with the downsized range.
Buzz Cagney 7 April 2010

Re: The Jaguar’s XF for 2020

Interesting comments from one of the contributors in Mercedes Enthusiast mag. this month. He concedes the XF is probably the best car in its class. He does qualify it with an 'unfortunately there is no estate and a smaller choice in the range'. Still, high praise I would say.

catnip 6 April 2010

Re: The Jaguar’s XF for 2020

Wingco44 wrote:
Also, have you noticed how the XF's lines grow on you and the Merc and BMWs seem old hat?

Just what I was thinking when I looked at the picture at the top of this article.....