Pay with Klarna
Alientech has released a new KESS3 protocol for the Bosch MG1CS028 engine control unit, fitted to Jaguar and Land Rover’s Ingenium hybrid petrol engines. The unit ships locked from the factory, and the new unlock module clears that lock in Boot mode before the ECU can be read and written in either Boot or Bench.
Which ECUs
The protocol targets the Bosch MG1CS028, fitted to Ingenium turbocharged petrol engines in both mild hybrid (MHEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) form, across Jaguar and Land Rover models built from 2021 onwards. The ECU is unlocked first with the KESS3 Unlock Module in Boot mode, and once unlocked it can be read and written in either Boot or Bench, whichever suits the workshop’s setup.
Cars this opens up
- Jaguar: F-Pace, E-Pace
- Land Rover: Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar
What it means
Locked Ingenium hybrid ECUs have been a difficult area for a while, so this is a genuine new door into a large chunk of the current Jaguar Land Rover range. For owners, it means a tuning file is now achievable on models that previously had no safe, supported route to one.
For dealers, this is bench work rather than an OBD job. The ECU needs to come out of the car for the unlock step and the eventual read and write, so turnaround runs on our usual file service timescales rather than a same-day OBD job. That is worth setting expectations around before the car comes in, particularly on a Range Rover or Defender where ECU access is not always quick.
Because these are hybrid petrol units, typical gains are modest and depend heavily on the specific engine, trim and whether the car is MHEV or PHEV, so a file written for one variant should never be assumed to suit another without checking the exact model and production date first.
Looking to tune one of these? Try our tuning builder to see what is available, or dealers can get files through our file service. More on the hardware is on our Alientech tools page.
