Jaguar XF
Chris Jackson, www.car-data.com
There’s something about the XF that doesn’t translate well in photos, a feeling of specialnessthat’s unique to Jaguar. This car feels somehow more precious than its competitors, like a rarer,more exotic beast. It’s not just the materials; running a finger over the XF’s interior trim willreveal some surprisingly cheap-feeling plastic edges here and there.
That X-factor (no pun intended) is one of Jaguar’s secret weapons in the sports-sedan wars, andit marks the all-new XF as a full member of the family. The S-Type, which the XF replaces, neverquite had it. Whatever the mojo is, Jaguar has definitely rediscovered it. The XF is the kind ofcar that your friends don’t mind squeezing into to get a ride. It’ll seat four comfortably, but Ifrequently had five passengers–someone was always willing to ride the hump, just to spend sometime in the Jag.
The choice of sweet-sounding 4.2 liter V8 engines under the hood is a not-so-secret ingredientof the sauce as well. In standard form, the XF gets a naturally-aspirated powerplant producing 300horsepower. That’s more than enough to allow this cat to get up and run, and Jaguar’s enginesproduce just the right amount of sound, roaring without being overtly uncouth. Stepping up a level,the supercharged 4.2 adds 120 horses to the stable, and makes the supercharged XF a stunningperformer.
The suspension is borrowed partly from the XK coupe, with lightweight aluminum components and amultilink rear that provides a supple, agile ride.
Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control and Understeer Control Logic, which helps tokeep the front wheels from washing out when they should be steering, are standard equipment. Itfeels athletic but not hard-core enough to be uncomfortable on public roads. The XF’s reflexes aregreat, though it feels somewhat heavy and tends to understeer. It’s also easy to catch thetransmission napping when coming out of a turn. This was a surprise, considering the completelyelectronic shift-by-wire interface. The six-speed Jaguar Sequential Shift transmission is aselectable autobox that can be controlled by steering wheel paddles or from the console.
The XF subscribes to the “coupe-sedan” styling philosophy of cars like the Mercedes CL-Class.The body has been penned with graceful, sweeping lines that make it easy to forget that the XF hasfour doors. It looks good in black, with a chrome-mesh grille up front and arched-eyebrow headlamps. The grille drops deep into the front bumper, so the XF appears to be ready to pounce even whenit’s standing still, and prevents it from looking like a four-door XK; this car has its ownpersonality. Big nineteen- or twenty-inch wheels are wrapped in low-profile performance rubber. Theaggressive hood bulge leaves no doubt that the XF is a serious piece of equipment, and at the rearthe blade-shaped taillights are mounted in a high, aerodynamic tail.
Haters of Jaguar’s J-gate shifter, rejoice; the XF doesn’t have a traditional shift lever at all. To control the transmission, there’s a knob that rises out of a flush recess in the console, androtates computer-game style to select gears. Its name is the JaguarDrive Rotary Gear Selector, notsurprisingly, and it’s the business end of the fully electronic interface with the transmission.The air vents close themselves when the ignition is turned off, as well. The XF is a very dramaticvehicle. The instrument panel features “halo” style ice-blue illumination at night, and coupledwith the mood lighting makes the XF a handsome and intriguing place in the dark. Even the maplights are high-tech: rather than the usual mechanical switch, they’re operated by touch-sensors.There’s comfortable seating for four, or in-a-pinch seating for five, and even a moderate amount ofcargo space in the 17.2 cubic foot trunk. A seven-inch display screen contains controls for thenavigation system and sound system. Uplevel sound systems are provided by Bowers & Wilkins, andBluetooth communication, Sirius satellite radio and MP3/iPod connections are all part of thepackage as well.
XF pricing is about what you’d expect, considering the company it keeps. Prices start in themid-$50,000 range, with plenty of opportunities to drive it upward from there. My tester stickeredfor $61,550 after the B&W sound system, optional wheels and other accessories were added. Onething modern Jaguars have always done well, however, is justified their price tags from thedriver’s seat. Sitting inside the XF, you’ll never wonder where all of the money went. Give it abit of juice as you point it down your favorite country road and you’ll probably think you’vegotten a bargain.
