I’m thinking about purchasing an F-type, but I want it to AWD. I don’t always trust the validity of online postings or a sales person’s word.

So how can you verify a F-type is AWD? VIN?

 

The easiest way is to just look at the hood. The AWD hoods have extra creases and the vents are further down towards the front than on the RWD cars. Just google pics of RWD and AWD F-Types and you'll see it.

 

As Major Tom says, the hood vents are the giveaway - RWD vents are closer together and near the windshield, AWD vents are further apart and more towards the front of the car.

 

As a pedantic point, MajorTom and scm are correct up to a point, the point being the most recent facelift

 

Ah, you're absolutely right. Forgot about the second facelift cars. For any such cars I guess the only way will be to check the build spec by getting it through a dealer.

Anyways it's a very wise approach to double check this because you really can't trust the spec listings of even JLR dealers.

 

If you have the VIN, run it against one or more of the various VIN lookup sites. The "Mechanical / Drivetrain", "Drive Type" element should show as "AWD/All Wheel Drive'

If you have a photo of the rear of the vehicle, the model ID emblem will have "AWD" included.

 

Unless it was ordered without the badge or debadged at some point, to be pedantic.

 

To be even more pedantic, mine doesn't have AWD anywhere on the car. I think the early cars may have had the AWD badge, but they'd dropped that by MY18.

 

To be even more more pedantic, at least one RWD S came from the factory with AWD R badging on the back

EDIT: Proof:

 

My 2018 R-Dynamic AWD does not have an AWD badge on the back. It spent considerable time on the lot before I bought it new. I asked the dealer if the badge had fallen off. They checked with JLR and informed me that not all AWD cars came with the AWD badge.

 

Light it up and count the skid marks 😁

 

Or...look at the front suspension with the steering to one lock position or the other to determine if there are axles and CV joints on the back side of the front hub.

 

VIN, easy. Or just look under the car if seeing in person... lol

If it is a 21+ R, it is AWD, because that's the only way it comes.

 

Should there be 5, and 6 if you have a passenger?

 

This is often not the case.

 

Exactly this.

 

scm and eeeeek: I would tend to disagree. My late-year-build 2019 V6 R Dynamic coupe has AWD and had it's own badge, directly under the right side P380 lettering. I actually replaced all of the original chrome badging (including the rear deck Leaper and Jaguar lettering) with gloss black ones to go with the rest of the factory Black Pack trim. If I ever take delivery of the copy of the P-7grill & frame that is supposedly in the works, that will also be gloss black.

 

I think I've started to break the code. The R stopped having AWD as a part of the badge in 2018. The SVR never had AWD. When Jaguar switched to the Pxxx badging, they added AWD. Then there are the exceptions, like the one that came from the factory with an AWD badge even though it was RWD.

I'd say the hood is the best easiest way to go, although I suppose someone could put an AWD hood on a RWD car.

Here's the only surefire way I know (using US model years).

All 2015 Rs are RWD.
All Rs from 2016 on are AWD
All SVRs are AWD

Are all 6 MTs RWD? I don't know on that one

 

I do! They are.

 

I believe AWD was introduced with MY16, so all MY14 (Base, V6S, V8S) and MY15 (Base, V6S, V8S, V8R) are RWD. These are US MY, I lose track for other countries. MY14/US was the first model year.