adminOver the weekend I had the pleasure of test driving both vehicles on the coastline of Durban, South Africa, arranged by Jaguar Land Rover Sub-Saharan Africa. It was an experience of a lifetime having this big cat out on the open road. The handling and capabilities of these vehicles will leave any adrenalin junky more than satisfied.
Jaguar has introduced two additional forced-induction petrol engines to its range for 2013 – the new 3.0-litre V6 250kW Supercharged Petrol, and the four-cylinder 2.0-litre 177kW Turbocharged Petrol.
The respective supercharging and turbocharging technology used in each engine means they offer efficiently delivered high-specific power and torque outputs. The 3.0-litre V6 Supercharged Petrol (3.0 V6 S/C) draws on key technology used in Jaguar’s award-winning 5.0-litre V8, and has significantly higher specific performance than the naturally-aspirated version of that engine. The 3.0 V6 S/C 250kW version is being offered in both the XF and XJ models.
The 2.0-litre produces 177kW and 340Nm, offering greater performance than Jaguar’s existing naturally-aspirated V6 engine, but with four-cylinder economy. The 2.0-litre will replace the 3.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol AJ-V6 in XF. Both engines deliver their power through smooth shifting eight-speed automatic transmissions – now available across the XF and XJ model ranges.
The 3.0 V6 S/C and 5.0 V8 S/C are available with Jaguar’s Intelligent Stop-Start system. To enhance customer choice Jaguar is expanding its product offering with the introduction of two additional petrol units; the new 3.0-litre V6 Supercharged Petrol, and the 2.0-litre Turbocharged Petrol. I scrambled literally to drive all engine variations available and I tell you if I could I would buy all of them from the 2.0-litre to the 5.0-litre . . . ha ha ha. Jaguar’s main aim is to grow its customer base in new and existing markets and also to increase brand awareness globally.
The 3.0 V6 S/C petrol engine has been developed by Jaguar powertrain experts from its existing award-winning 5.0-litre V8 – the all-alloy engine which has received plaudits from around the world in applications from long wheelbase limousines to 300km/h convertibles. The 3.0 V6 S/C shares many of the V8’s key technologies including direct injection, variable valve timing, and aluminium construction and offers comparable levels of refinement and driveability to the naturally-aspirated version of the V8 engine, but with greater specific output and efficiency courtesy of supercharging technology.
The 3.0 V6 S/C will give performance levels matching much larger engines while remaining economy and emissions friendly. The 2.0-litre Turbocharged Petrol engine uses a range of state-of-the-art technologies for power generation that belies its size, and its introduction to XF models will see it installed in north-south orientation. It produces 177kW and 340Nm thanks to the use of three key innovations; low-inertia turbocharging, direct fuel-injection and variable timing of both the intake and exhaust camshafts.
Jaguar has established itself as a leader in the field of supercharged induction technology in order to extract the highest efficiency from its powerplants. Currently, supercharging is used to greatest effect in the XKR-S which produces 405kW and 680Nm from its acclaimed 5.0-litre V8 engine. The new quad-cam V6 shares its all-aluminium construction with the V8, with the lightweight die-cast block supplemented with cross-bolted main bearing caps to increase rigidity and therefore refinement. The four-valve cylinder heads are constructed of recycled aluminium. Mounted in the ‘V’ of the engine is latest-generation Roots-type twin vortex supercharger, its use key to the 3.0 V6 S/C’s high-specific output and efficiency. More compact than the model used with the V8, a water-cooled intercooler reduces the temperature of the intake air to optimise power and efficiency. New to the 3.0 V6 S/C is that the supercharger boost control is electronically supervised by new Bosch engine management software, offering efficiency gains of up to 20 percent.
The 3.0 V6 S/C powertrain is completed by the Jaguar-tuned eight-speed automatic transmission. This transmission’s large spread of ratios allows the engine’s prodigious power to be fully exploited while optimising economy and emissions.
Efficiency is also boosted by the engine’s compatibility with Jaguar’s Intelligent Stop-Start system which improves fuel consumption by up to 7 percent. Utilising a twin solenoid starter, the system is able to restart the engine in less time than it takes for the driver’s foot to move from the brake to the accelerator, and in engine rundown “change of mind” scenarios it is able to re-energise the engine via rapidly refuelling the cylinders. The 3.0 V6 S/C produces 250kW at 6500rpm and 450Nm of torque between 3 500 and 5 000rpm. In the XF, this results in 0-100km/h in 5,9 seconds and a top speed limited to 250km/h. Returning a combined fuel economy of 9.4l/100km, the XF emits just 224g/km of CO2. In its XJ application, the 3.0 V6 S/C accelerates to 100km/h in 5,9 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h. The XJ returns a combined fuel economy of 9.4l/100km and emits 224g/km of CO2.
The introduction of the 177kW petrol engine to the Jaguar range in XF marks a key response to the growing demands of legislation and customer demand alike. The 2.0 Turbocharged used in the XF sees it oriented in north-south configuration and mated to the same smooth-shifting eight-speed transmission used on the 3.0 V6 S/C. Producing 177kW at 5 500rpm the 2.0 Turbocharged offers flexible delivery, and with an “as-shipped” weight of 138kg courtesy of compact dimensions and all-aluminium construction it is also the lightest Jaguar engine ever.
Fact Jeke is an auto enthusiast with over a decade experience. She has written for several regional publications, attended many auto trade shows around the globe. You can contact her on email: [email protected] or via Facebook: Torque with Fact Jeke.
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