Well, color us a shade of bummed. After long speculation, Jaguar confirmed we won't see a V-8 engine under the hood of the XE or XF anytime soon. Save for the wild XE SV Project 8, of course.
Road & Track reported on Wednesday that the decision partially rests on production volumes. Ian Callum, Jaguar's design director, said the company looks at proportions of vehicles to determine feasibility. For example, "If we do an M3 version of XE, for instance, they'll take the proportion of M3 to 3-Series and work it back from there," he said.
Callum added he doesn't agree with the practice, but admitted he's not the one calling the shots. So, we can scratch a higher-volume V-8 powered XE off of our wish list. The XE SV Project 8 is limited to just 300 units. What about rumors of a high-performance XF Sportbrake? Not going to happen, either.
2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake
"We don't have a super high-performance version of (the XF Sportbrake), unfortunately, which is a shame, but that's the way it is," he said. And a V-8 powered XF sedan? There are "no plans to bring a V-8 to the XF at this time," another Jaguar spokesperson added.
However, all is not lost. Jaguar is keen on maximizing Jaguar-Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations' potential for more SVR cars and SUVs. Without giving too much away, SVO head John Edwards said we'll be seeing more cars wearing the SVO badge. Road & Track was also told Jaguar thinks it's conceivable to reveal one SVO-badged vehicle each year.
What vehicles may be up for the SVO treatment? The F-Pace seems like a prime candidate.