► New 6cyl Ingenium engine for 2017
► It’s a 3.0-litre straight six
► Power in the 275-500bhp range
Jaguar and Land Rover, the two best-selling British premium brands, are phasing out their dated V6 motors in favour of a new inline six-cylinder as part of the new Ingenium engine family.
Engineering chiefs are confident the straight six perfectly complements rear-wheel drive which remains a Jaguar trademark – yet it is equally suited for the bigger Land Rover and Range Rover models.
Jaguar’s new straight sixes in detail
It was only a matter of time before the new in-house-developed four-cylinder Ingenium engine range spawned an extra pair of cylinders. This is a modular family, remember, and the new factory in Wolverhampton has been built to produce a wide range of engines.
The new six-cylinder due in late 2017 is a direct-injection turbocharged 3.0-litre unit which will be offered in petrol and diesel form. Eventually, the power output is going to be staggered in three stages for executive and express iterations, which brings the total to six variations according to CAR magazine’s sources:
- Petrol six-cylinder: 300/400/500bhp
- Diesel six-cylinder: 275/335/400bhp
Key benefits include lighter weight, reduced consumption and emissions and, last but not least, a strong link to Jaguar’s impressive straight six history. Expect to see the engines in Jag XEs, XFs, F-Paces and XJs as well as Range Rovers, Range Sports and the next Discovery.
Straight sixes make a comeback
Many premium manufacturers – including BMW and Mercedes-Benz – are shifting to a modular engine strategy, common to which is the 500cc-per-cylinder optimum capacity.
But it’s telling that Jaguar is following in the footsteps of BMW; we did not expect anything less from a top management that was trained in, and is still strongly influenced by, Munich.
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