For the creatures within this beast, there’s enough and
more. There is a dual zone climate control unit so that each of the two passengers
of this dual seater remains comfortable even in the
peak of summer. There’s Bluetooth connectivity for your phone, so that you
remain connected while on the move. There are parking sensors at the back and
at the front to warn you of obstacles that you can’t see. The cruise control is
perfect for giving the right foot a bit of rest while cruising down highways.
There’s also a touchscreen multimedia system with integrated sat-nav thrown in for good measure. It also gets a USB port and
Aux-in. The a-c vents are integrated into the top of the centre
stack and rise up when the air-con is switched on. A cool
feature to have. Another funky aspect are the
pop-out door-handles. Unlock the car with the remote key and the otherwise
flush fitted door-handles pop out. Getting in and out isn’t as bad as one would
expect in a car so low but does need getting used to. The earlier mentioned
memory seats and its multi-way adjustability help in reaching the perfect
driving position. Mirrors are large and provide good visibility – a must for
Indian roads. To park, there is a reverse park camera as well.
Touchscreen
multimedia/ satnav system is fairly easy to use. Screen is quite responsive to
tactile input too. Sound quality is great, reduced wind noise when indulging in
top down motoring would have been a great plus
Once you’re comfortably strapped in and have orientated
yourself with the Jag’s controls and have got over the initial excitement of
sitting inside this gorgeous vehicle, you realise that visibility all round is
much better than what you would expect in a low-slung sports car. From the
inside it doesn’t feel particularly low either. The cabin is a mite cramped,
with the black leather interior adding to the cramped feel, but then this is a
thoroughbred sports car and not a luxury limousine.
Hit the engine start button on the centre
console (placed just ahead of the drive selector) and the F-Type’s 5.0-litre
supercharged V8 fires up with a loud growl before settling down to a gentle
burble that belies its ferocious 495 PS of peak power that is developed at
6,500 RPM. But it’s not often that you will get to experience all that power;
unless you take it to a racetrack. What counts more is probably its maximum
torque of 625 Nm, which develops at a low 2,500 revs and stays uniform right up
till 5,500 turns.
495 PS
supercharged 5.0-litre V8 is an aural delight with a feral growl coming out at
around 4500 RPM when one flattens the throttle
Choose ‘D’ on the selector and, as one moves off gingerly
through Pune city, one gets used to this car quite quickly. For a sports car
the ride quality is very decent and it will not decimate your spine at every
road irregularity, especially when the suspension set-up is for comfort. It’s a
different matter altogether when the toggle selector is flicked into ‘Dynamic’
mode. Ground clearance also is not an issue for the most part and the average
speed bump can be taken care of with just the mildest bit of caution being
exercised.
Two pairs of twin
tailpipes further enhance the car's sportiness
The steering is on the heavier side, as one would expect in
a sports car, but lightens up nicely as one drives on. The feel too is quite
direct and the steering is precise. At no point in time are you unaware of
where the front wheels are pointing. While we did not get a chance to really
put the car through a series of twisties that would
give a genuine feel of this car’s dynamic abilities, whatever little twists and
turns we took were enough to indicate the potential and the extent of the
F-Type’s handling capabilities. Our guess is it will be razor-sharp.
