Jaguar has a history of using straight six engines; the AJ6 inline (pictured) was used from 1949 all the way up to 1992, with displacements ranging from 2.8- to 4.2-liter, but the same basic architecture. Nowadays, if Jaguar needs a six-pot, it just uses a V6 like everybody else, but that may soon change, according to an Aussie report.
Motoring quotes Paul Witworth, the chief engineer in charge of Jaguar’s new family of modular Ingenium engines (which this new straight-six would be part of). “I’m not going to tell you whether we’re going to do a V6 or an I6 [inline six]. But what I will say is an I6 has less moving parts for a start and when it comes to fuel economy and emission the less moving parts you’ve got the better you are.”
He adds more: “Straight-six cylinder gives some challenges for vehicle packaging — it’s more difficult to [achieve good] crash [test results]. But the engine will be inherently more efficient. It’ll be lighter and it’ll be cheaper [to build].”
This means the problem has been analyzed within Jaguar, and if the advantage of lower costs has been brought up, then we say it sounds pretty plausible, even if the new XE uses a V6; these new engines, the source says, are expected to debut in 2016, along with the all-new XF.
Hybridization was also pushed forth as an alternative. Witworth spoke more liberally about it, saying “We’re looking at all hybrid options within JLR [Jaguar Land Rover]. And Ingenium will take them all — we’d be crazy to develop an engine family that wasn’t hybrid-proof.”
If they do go down the partial electrification route, then these mixed powertrains are expected to be ready by the time the new XF is ready as well.
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