Jaguar F-Type getting substantial updates for 2021?

It will be the F-Type's first major overhaul.

Jaguar hasn't announced the direction it will take the next F-Type in. Some sources say it will be mid-engined, while others claim it will go electric. In the meantime, the British company is preparing to give the current F-Type a significant mid-cycle update that will bring visual tweaks, mechanical upgrades, and more tech inside.

Stylists gave the F-Type a sharper-looking front end, according to British magazine Autocar. The lights are positioned further down on the front fascia, at about the same height as the top of the grille, and the hood has been re-drawn. The rear end also receives design changes, but the body and the chassis remain the same.

Autocar expects much of the technology found in the I-Pace and the recently-updated XE will trickle down to the F-Type. That means it will offer a digital instrument cluster, and a more modern infotainment system with touch-sensitive dials. The publication adds that Jaguar will craft the interior with improved materials in order to make the model a nicer place to travel in.

The big news on the specifications sheet is that Jaguar will replace the F's V6 with its new turbocharged, 3.0-liter straight-six. The six is already available in Land Rover's Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, where it delivers 395 horsepower. It's too early to tell how much power it will make under the hood of the F-Type, but we know it will work with a 48-volt mild hybrid system that includes an electric supercharger. It's a feature that promises to reduce turbo lag while boosting efficiency. The four- and eight-cylinders will return unchanged.

The updated Jaguar F-Type will go on sale next year, meaning it might not arrive in American showrooms until the 2021 model year. We expect to see it in the metal before the end of 2019.