Coventry, England - Bet you never thought Land Rover would use BMW technology again like it did when the latter owned the former back in the 1990s.
But Jaguar Land Rover and BMW just recently
that will see the two companies jointly developing electric motors, transmissions and power electronics, and now it appears as though internal combustion engines could form part of the mix too.
This is according to
, which was informed by a source that an expansion of the aforementioned partnership will see BMW supplying JLR with internal combustion engines.
However, the source also reiterated that the British carmaker would not outsource production of its ‘Ingenium’ four- and six-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines - which would almost go without saying as the company has invested heavily in them.
WardsAuto says that the deal, which would involve sourcing petrol, diesel and hybrid drivetrains for a relatively wide variety of vehicles, would allow JLR to curb its investments in internal combustion engines, thereby freeing up the funding needed to develop more battery-powered cars.
But if Jaguar is not giving up on its 2-litre four-cylinder and 3-litre straight-six Ingenium engines, then which motors will it source from BMW?
Although this is pure speculation at this point, our guess would be three-cylinder and V8 motors.
It would make sense for Jaguar to eventually ditch its V8 as it does not form part of the modular and efficient-to-assemble Ingenium family, and it is rather low-volume. But would the company really want to go without a V8 for its halo products? Thank you BMW.
But the source also suggested BMW engines could be used for a “wide” range of JLR products.
Well, BMW also has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol, which would allow Land Rover to expand downwards with more efficient and affordable Discovery Sport and Evoque model variants, while perhaps even powering a long-rumoured compact Land Rover model. The Jaguar E-Pace could be a candidate for this engine too, come to think of it.
With diesel sales in a downward spiral, something that has
rather hard, a more efficient petrol engine option could be a godsend for the company.
That said, a three-cylinder Ingenium motor has been rumoured for quite some time now, but perhaps the company feels it's simpler to just outsource it? Only time will tell.
Either way, any further collaboration between the two companies will enhance production efficiencies and reduce the investment burdens on both sides. And with the increasing pressure to electrify, every car company needs a friend or two these days.