Jaguar F-Type: 2013 World Car Design of the Year

The new Jaguar F-Type has been declared 2013 World Car Design of the Year at the New York Auto Show this week.

[nggallery id=1254 template=customlinks]

The car that we now know as the Jaguar F-Type first bowed in as a coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011 as the Jaguar CX-16, but by the time the production CX-16 arrived at the Paris Motor Show in 2012 it had lost its roof and turned in to the new Jaguar F-Type, the first proper sports car from Jaguar in two generations.

We have to confess we moaned about a few details on  the F-Type when it arrived, and about the price. But we soon realised that, rather than being a pricey alternative to a Porsche Boxster, the new Jaguar F-Type was actually a real alternative to the Aston Martin Vantage – turning it in to something of a bargain offering.

And as for the moans about some of the detail on the F-Type, a close up view in the flesh soon turned those thoughts around and we decided the F-Type was a triumph, and a worthy successor to the iconic E-Type Jag.

And praise for the F-Type has been pretty much universal, with the handful outside Jaguar who’ve driven it praising just about everything from the performance to the handling – whether it be the entry-level V6 Supercharged or the (for now) range-topping V8S – and it seems the World Car Awards panel concur as they’ve just bestowed the 2013 World Car Design of the Year award on the F-Type at the New York Auto Show.

The WCOTY panel said of the F-Type:

The long wheelbase, short overhangs and flared fenders give this car a good stance. The contour in plan view tapered toward the door emphasises the muscular rear fender that houses the driven wheels.

The F-TYPE exterior maintains Jaguar’s own elegance in its horizontal proportion and rounded surfaces, yet it looks very dynamic. But I would like to say the interior design is even more attractive. It is clearly driver-oriented, and a grip bar for the passenger is nicely integrated into the big centre console. The seat design is superb, too.

Praise indeed, and a big gong for Jaguar’s head designer, Ian Callum, too. Ian said:

It’s a project I’ve looked forward to from the moment I joined Jaguar, and it’s one that’s given my team and I great satisfaction. The  F-TYPE is a sports car that is true to Jaguar’s design values – beauty of line and purity of form – and I’m honoured that the World Car of the Year jury has recognised our work with this award.

With the new Jaguar F-Type now about to hit the road we’re expecting to get the opportunity to get behind the wheel for a proper F-Type review before too long.

We see little prospect we’ll disagree with the consensus so far, but it should be fun finding out.

Jaguar F-Type Video