Jaguar’s F-Type is six years old and, between then and now, has changed very little. There have been a few tweaks here and there – inside and out – but the sublime styling has been largely untampered with, something that, in my opinion, is no bad thing. It has aged remarkably well.

However, perhaps the biggest change has been the introduction of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine to the range. However, unlike the Porsche Boxster and Cayman – which have both succumbed to the trend towards downsizing – the F-Type is still available with both the V6 and atmospheric V8.

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What the arrival of the four-cylinder Ingenium-engined version does do, though, is open up the F-type range to new buyers with its £50,000 price tag and 40-plus mpg cruising ability.

Perhaps the most appealing feature of the 2.0-litre version is that, one subtle detail aside, it looks just like any other F-type. The lights, the bumpers, the bonnet louvres are all carried across from its more powerful siblings and, in fact, the only way to tell it apart is by the single large exhaust exit.

There’s 296bhp at your disposal, providing a generous 194bhp per tonne – compared to the V6’s 210bhp – thanks largely to a weight saving of 52kg. Most of that mass has been saved from between the front axles.

The twin-scroll turbochargers have been revised to, say Jaguar, almost entirely eliminate turbo lag. There’s a promising 295lbft of torque available from just 1,500rpm so you’d expect this car to deliver… and it does.

It will hit 60mph in a respectable 5.4 seconds – according to official figures – with power sent to the rear wheels via a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s no limited-slip differential although the 2.0-litre does get torque vectoring to help rein in understeer.

At first glance F-Type ownership from a smidgeon over £50k sounds like a reasonable outlay. This is, after all, a luxury sports car and from behind the wheel it lives up to that billing, for the most part.

There’s leather pretty much anywhere you’re likely to rest your hands and lots of classy-looking inserts and brightwork to add a little visual stimulus.

It’s snug behind the wheel, as it should be, and the cockpit wraps beautifully around the driver. The seats provide support and comfort in equal measure so whatever your agenda – a blast through the countryside or a cross-country jaunt – your journey should be a pleasant one.

The seating position is low, though there’s enough space in either of the seats for six-footers, and peering out across the long bonnet only enhances the sense that some sporting drama is about to unfold.

Being a strict two-seater there’s room in the cabin for you, your passenger and, well, little else. The door pockets and centre cubby are tiny while the glove box is also on the small side.

Things don’t get much better when you take a peek in the boot where there’s room for a couple of soft bags and little else but, stand back and take in the rakish, beautiful profile and I think most would agree, it’s a sacrifice worth making.

As I might have mentioned before, the infotainment system – a 10in screen running the InControl Touch Pro system – is in need of a serious update, because it not only lags behind the offerings in its immediate competitors but also what you often find in cars a third of the price. It works well enough, however, and if you’re sitting behind the wheel of a car of this ilk you probably won’t spend too much time worrying about how crisp (or not) the graphics are.

You can customise the home screen, making it easier to access your most frequently used features, and the standard sat nav is standard uses live traffic information to plot routes. There’s added functionality via the firm’s InControl apps that allows you to use Spotify on the touchscreen when you connect via USB and there are mirroring apps for Apple and Android but the whole thing is just a bit unsophisticated.

So, infotainment aside, it would seem that the Jaguar’s £50,000 asking price stands up well to closer scrutiny. Well, not quite.

You see there’s a certain breed of car that can deliver similar performance – and greater practicality – for significantly less cash. The Golf R, Honda Civic Type R and Focus RS all have the capacity to compete on both outright pace and point-to-point.

Of course, you’re not wrapped up in quite such luxurious surroundings, but that doesn’t cloud the issue any less. The Ingenium engine just deliver the nudge-in-the-back thrust that anyone who’s driven either the V6 or V8-engined models might expect.

It picks up speed willingly enough, but towards the upper reaches of the rev range it’s enthusiasm quickly starts to wane. There are three driving modes – normal, snow and dynamic – and selecting the latter improves things noticeably, with a more responsive throttle and sportier, more eager engine note.

The eight-speed auto is slick and intelligent when left to its own devices. Slip it into Sport and it’ll hold onto lower gears well, particularly in conjunction with the Dynamic driving mode.

Perhaps where the 2.0-litre F-Type regains some goodwill – and then some – is when you start to stretch its proverbial legs around more challenging roads. It’s here that it begins to make sense, where the lighter front end, and surplus of grip over grunt, reveals an altogether different character.

The steering is a little vague but the weight is consistent and it’s not long before you find yourself slipping into an easy rhythm, corner to corner, pointing the nose towards the apex confident that the car will comply without complaint.

There’s no active suspension, just a passive set-up, but for the most part the springs and dampers do a fine job of dealing with imperfections at lower speeds. Pick up the pace and there’s a distinct lack of sophistication in the way it deals with larger bumps as the underlying firmness starts to become more apparent.

The most affordable of F-Types is, in many ways, the best. While a more potent engine – if not in outright power but in the way that it’s delivered – would be welcome its performance is more accessible for more of the time than any of its siblings.

This is a Jaguar that harks back to a much simpler age. From a driver’s perspective it feels very much like a journey back to basics, albeit wrapped in a luxurious cocoon, and it handles with an endearing honesty.

F-Type Coupe R-Dynamic 2.0l RWD

Price: from £53,600

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol

Transmission: eight-speed manual

Max power: 200PS

Max torque: 400Nm

Max speed:155mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 5.7sec

Urban: 32.1mpg

Extra-urban: 45.6mpg

Combined: 39.2mpg

Emissions (CO2): 163g/km

For more information visit www.jaguar.co.uk