In short, if you think that what the Germans have been building lately is pretty good, then you need to be paying close attention to what’s coming out of Old Blighty as well.
Like we said with XKR and XFR, boring and beige no longer applies here. The new range of Jaguars competes very well across the board with the equivalent products from the other major players. The rebirth of the British brand continues apace. And that’s where this new XF Jaguar, released to the world at the New York Motor Show, comes in.
Previously, Jaguar could compete well at the performance end of the sedan spectrum with the XFR as we reported recently. Now, with a brilliant and clever new turbo diesel engine, Jaguar is set to compete at the daily driver, luxury end of the diesel sedan market. And they’ll be doing it in style.
It’s an important end of the market in Australia too. One that is growing steadily every year as buyers look not only for luxury and exclusivity but also for value for money and inclusions. Not to mention economy.
Externally, the most visible change is to the front end styling of the new XF, which brings its styling more in line with the flagship XJ. The refreshed exterior is complemented by new wheel choices and paint colours.
New lighting technology means the XF has the same headlight functionality as the XJ as well. That is, bi function HID Xenon technology. The tail lights have also been renewed and they now feature LED technology which gives the XF a unique night time signature that stands out on the road. All models get power close on the boot.
The sheet metal has been changed within the grille, bonnet and front guards to completely revise the front end styling. What was an already attractive car just got even better looking. New triangular vents in the front guards add to what is an aggressive visage.
The range-topping XFR receives its own unique design – described by Jaguar as overt and aggressive – to underline its performance potential while an alternative ‘Aerodynamic’ option is available on all other models for a total of three dramatically different styling options.
Ian Callum, Design Director, Jaguar Cars says, “The XF has rightly been recognised as a quintessential Jaguar saloon. It is purposeful yet elegant, with inherent sporting intent in its design. For the latest version we have been able to evolve and enhance that performance character to make the XF the most visually dynamic car in its class.”
While the new styling is obviously the first thing about the XF that catches your eye, probably the most important addition to the range in our opinion is the new drive train. There’s plenty to get excited about under the bonnet.
The introduction of a new 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine will be key to the new model’s widespread appeal. The engine is worked to 2.2-litres in capacity and features various clever internal wizardry to ensure low friction operation and efficiency within the engine. The turbo charger is water cooled – rather than air cooled – and new engine mounts and modifications to the construction of the engine reduce NVH.
In short, this is Jaguar’s most fuel efficient engine ever. Not bad on the back of XKRS, which was Jaguar’s most powerful engine ever. Additional acoustic shielding and smoothing of the airflow ensure the new XF is as quiet and refined as it is impressive on the performance front.
We only have British specifications of the engine at this stage, but 190hp and 450Nm indicate genuine performance and flexibility as you’d expect with a modern turbo diesel engine. The 0-100kph sprint is expected to be knocked off in around 8-seconds, also impressive for what is essentially a luxury saloon. A top speed of around 225kph is impressive for a 4-cylinder diesel engine as well.
The engine is as you’d expect Euro V compliant and uses around the 6L/100km mark if the US figures are on the money. Intelligent stop/start technology, shuts the engine down in 300-milliseconds when you come to a stop, further keeping emissions in check. As soon as your foot leaves the brake pedal, the engine comes back to life so it’s ready before your foot reaches the throttle pedal. Intelligent electronics assess when it safe to allow the engine to shut down.
Perhaps as important as the new engine is the new gearbox it’s matched to. Like the Range Rover product we’ve tested in the past, the new XF Jaguar will be fitted with the incredible ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox. However, the engine has been further tweaked by the Jaguar engineers to ensure it is capable of delivering exactly what they wanted for the engine it is matched to. This is the first time this brilliant ‘box has been fitted to a Jaguar of any kind.
200-millisecond gear changes make an F1 driver look slow and there are multiple downshifts on offer simply by holding the paddle in as you approach the corner. The gearbox will then select the appropriate ratio to match your corner speed even if it is two or three cogs lower than when you entered the corner.
The refreshment of the XK continues inside the cabin where numerous changes have been made to enhance the driving experience. High end materials and incredible attention to design and finish detail mean the XF feels like a luxury car from every angle.
The JaguarDrive selector emerges from the centre console, the air vents rotate to their ‘open’ position when the starter button is activated, and there are clever design touches everywhere. More than any other part of the car, the interior is the place that really leaves an impression and the XF delivers big time in that regard.
The XF incorporates a formidable array of clever technology but as we’ve come to expect from Jaguar in the past few years, that technology is integrated seamlessly into the function of the car and controlled through a central seven-inch Touch-screen with a new polarising filter for better contrast viewing at any time of the day or night. The instrument cluster is now a full-colour TFT unit, which delivers greater resolution and clarity.
In an indication that people are more and more concerned with the quality of the in car audio, Jaguar has offered up three new audio systems for XF. Each one represents a significant step forward from the previous model’s versions.
Each of the three systems can be specified with a hard-drive based sat nav system that incorporates a ‘virtual’ CD multi changer allowing the owner to transfer 10 discs worth of music directly onto the system. The system also now offers a number of different options for connecting MP3 players; two USB ports, one of which is iPod specific and Bluetooth connectivity that allows music to be streamed wirelessly from your smart phone.
The majority of the XF’s functions can also be controlled from the driver’s seat by Jaguar’s Interactive Voice functionality, which provides an intuitive interface for safe, hands-free operation.
Stay tuned for competitive pricing Down Under. While the exact numbers haven’t been confirmed as yet, we have it on pretty good authority that the prices will definitely surprise buyers and the luxury sedan players when they are released.
