Why JLR is reviving the inline-six

The market may have been surprised by Jaguar Land Rover's decision to offer the latest Range Rover with an I-6 gasoline engine, but it's been on the company's development list since the Ingenium engine series was conceived more than eight years ago. With refinement a salient Range Rover selling point, it was determined the I-6 had sufficient advantages over a V6 (including manufacture) to tip the balance in its favor.

Derived from the company's modular (500cc per cylinder) Ingenium-series inline-4, the new 3.0-L I-6 produces 294 kW (394 hp) and 550 N·m (406 lb·ft) while meeting the EU6b emission standard when installed in the new Range Rover Sport HST (top), putting it well into the SUV muscle league. The new mill incorporates an electric supercharger powered by a 48V mild-hybrid regenerative system capable of spooling to 65,000 rpm in 0.5 seconds. It “virtually eliminates” lag from the engine's twin-scroll turbocharger, delivering a torque rise rate during transient accelerations of up to 300 Nm/s.