Car review: Jaguar F-Type Four Cylinder

Discarding the Jaguar F-Type’s usual three-litre V6 or five-litre V8 engines and slotting in a two-litre, four-cylinder Ingenium petrol motor instead, sounds like a recipe for a vindaloo without the chilli.

But the result is surprising – this is still a quick car. It packs 300PS, reaches 60mph from rest in just 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph. It also weighs 52 kilos less than other F-Types and most of that saving is over the front wheels, so it also feels slightly more nimble and changes direction beautifully.

Starting at £49,900 it is also about £15,000 cheaper than a 340PS three-litre F-Type S. And in case you think it will sound like a Ford Mondeo, the specially turned exhaust system provides all the pops, bangs and booms of a proper sports car soundtrack. It sounds epic.

Externally there is not much to distinguish it from its more powerful siblings, but on the road it feels even better balanced, and at its UK launch in North Wales it devoured the twisty, fast, cross-country route with relish.