Jaguar Land Rover's AJ supercharged 5.0-litre V8 underneath the bonnet of the Range Rover Sport SVR
Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) long serving AJ supercharged V8 engine will remain in production for at least another three to five years after the clinching of a deal with former parent company Ford.
According to Britain’s Autocar, the engine, which has been in production since 1996 in multiple configurations, will now be made at JLR’s Wolverhampton Plant once the Blue Oval shuts the doors of its Bridgend Plant in Wales at the end of next month.
Currently used in the F-Type, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Velar and soon in the Defender V8, the 5.0-litre mill made its debut in 2009 as the replacement for the 4.2-litre supercharged V8, and is currently in its third generation having undergone Euro 5 compliance back in 2010. It will eventually be replaced by BMW sourced V8s in 2025 in order to meet Euro 7 regulations. Although made at the same plant, the equally long serving 3.0-litre supercharged V6 won’t be carried over as it will be succeeded by the mild-hybrid Ingenium range of straight-six units.
Despite the engine clampdown on the Old Continent, which calls for a corporate fleet average of 95 g/km as per the Euro 7 requirements, Autocar claims that less stringent requirements in key markets such as the United States and Middle East have been cited as the main reason for JLR opting to continue with V8 production.
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