Jaguar F-Type 2020: spy shots, electric options, specs and release date

Jaguar will soon unveil plans to replace its new F-Type sports car, judging by the latest crop of spy photographs.

The images, posted by Car magazine, show a heavily-camouflaged version of the company’s two-seater sports car testing on public roads in the West Midlands, not far from the British marque’s headquarters in Coventry.

The new F-Type is rumoured to be a “thoroughly overhauled” version of the current sports car [pictured top], rather than a completely new model, the motoring magazine says.

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But that doesn’t mean the new model will be short of upgrades. According to Car magazine, the next F-Type will be cleaner, more economical and easier to produce, meaning it should remain on sale “well into the next decade”, says Car magazine.

Here’s everything we know so far about the next F-Type, including its design and engine specs:

Price and release

Given that the new F-Type isn’t expected to be radically different from the current model, the price isn’t expected to deviate too far from the existing car’s £52,310 tag.

Car magazine says the sports car will make its world debut in 2020, but doesn’t name a precise date.

There’s a chance the F-Type will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which runs from 12 to 22 September, as it’s one of the biggest events of the motoring calendar.

Design

The updated F-Type snapped by spy photographers is covered in a thick layer of camouflage making it difficult to spot all its design details.

But the US-based motoring news site Autoblog says it’s clear the new F-Type will come with a major change to its headlight design. The vertical “swept-back” lights on the current sports car look set to be replaced by low, horizontal LEDs, similar to the design of the XE and XJ saloons.

The central grille, meanwhile, doesn’t look particularly different to the one on the existing model, but it will be “flanked by redesigned outboard grilles”, the website says.

The rest of the car looks almost identical to the current F-Type, albeit with the possibility of a revised tail light design.

Engine specs and electric options

While visual changes appear to be small, significant tweaks are expected under the bonnet.

The Ford-derived supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine that has powered the car since its release in 2013 will be replaced by a 4.4-litre 560bhp twin-turbo V8 supplied by BMW, says Car magazine. The motor will be “notably more economical” than the outgoing unit and will be joined in the line-up by the same four-cylinder engine that currently powers the entry-level F-Type.

“There is even talk of a purely electric Jaguar F-type”, says the motoring magazine. This is rumoured to have a 100kWh battery pack and two electric motors that each deliver 150kW of power. This version, however, isn’t due to arrive until 2023 at the earliest and there’s no guarantee it will be given the green light.