The new jaguar xf is a stunning masterpiece of design. It is exceptionally comfortable to drive, has a slew of options and is amazingly powerful. Paolo Rossetti hopes to see many on the roads.
Everybody loves Jaguar!
And the XF is one of the finest machines ever produced by the legendary British coachmaker – in fact, it is the replacement for the late S-model range, and manages to surpass its predecessor in almost every aspect.
First of all is styling – the new XF is a stunning masterpiece of design. It represents a total departure for current design of the marque, whose lineup could (excepting the XK) charitably be described as retro, but could also be characterised as stodgy.
Jaguar director of design Ian Callum has said quite directly that the current state of Jaguar design has reached its zenith, and with the pending sale to Tata Motors all but complete, it's time to rescue the firm from its nadir as well.
So what we have here is a revolution, my dear readers. And I will call it my Car of the Year 2008 unless something truly phenomenal pops up unannounced!
Jaguar has one of the finest pedigrees in the car-making business. As I said, everyone likes Jaguar! But the XF is different. Just looking at it parked you realise this model has something very special about it.
The Jaguar XF follows a new, modern profile, which builds in a wedge-like fashion and a high-backed waistline that climbs higher towards the rear of the car, revealing the lowest drag coefficient of any Jaguar in the current line – even the also-fabulous XK coupe.
I immediately went to look for the famed Jaguar hood ornament, expecting disappointment, but instead forgot all about it and was completely floored by the beauty of the front grille! I consider it one of the best-worked grilles I have ever come across.
I also appreciated the chrome "blades" which bisect the intakes in the front fascia and then lead to cuts just above the rocker panels stretching to the rear doors – very attractive.
The rear is also sculpted to grab gasps of air from spectators, and from all angles the design is superb and fresh for Jaguar.
Upon entry, the olde charm returns unabated, and I'm thankful for that. It's one thing to revolutionise by evolving and building upon traditional strengths, and it's a completely different thing to throw out the baby with the bath water.
I'm so glad Jaguar has kept some things "the way they were supposed to be" – and the classy interior is definitely straight out of master artisan coach makers' book of trade.
However, at the same time, and in complete harmony, the fresh revolution of Jaguar adds some astonishing modern surprises – not just for technology's sake – and they fit in perfectly! Vibrant blue night lighting, for instance – it may sound a little harsh, and I can sense you wincing as you read that, but when dusk settled down and the automatic lights lit up, the crisp and stunning effect of the blue gauges and cascading down across the dash buttons just made me nod in appreciation while muttering under my breath: "Well done, Jaguar, old boy…" The same goes for the gear lever.
There isn't one. Until a round lever gracefully appears in the centre console when you click the start. Elegant, not gimmicky in the least, and also very intelligent in its operation. A/C vents also automatically rotate open when the car is turned on, and Jaguar Sense control allows for touch or proximity control.
Gently pass your finger over a sensor located on the
dash for the glove box to graciously drop open or for the overhead console lights to light up – other fine touches that remind you of the revolution under way.
But on to the drive. We already know to expect Jaguar luxury, even though perhaps not the surprises that the XF design team has brilliantly incorporated in an environment of fine leathers and tasteful precious wood.
At the top of Jaguar's technological claim to revolution is the XF's six-speed Sequential Shift System transmission control. The shift-by-wire system replaces the gear linkage and results in substantially quicker shifts than possible with any manual transmission.
At the same time, when not stomping hard on the accelerator, the smoothness of gear transfer is excellent, and one of the best features of this car, in my opinion.
This excellent transmission couples up with an incredible suspension system to offer a glide, not a drive.
The suspension is offered in two variations, both of which are developed from the current XK sports car and comprise unequal length wishbones in front, and a multi-link setup in the rear.
The supercharged XF makes use of Jag's Computer Adaptive Technology Suspension (CATSTM) from the XK sports grand tourer. Using electronic dampers, the system makes critical adjustments within milliseconds depending on road conditions at that moment.
Coupled with elegant 20-inch wheels covered with high-performance Pirelli P-Zeros, the result is a ride with very little in the way of dive and lurch under acceleration and braking. A truly exceptional ride is the result of the extra distance Jaguar went in developing the suspension. Nice work, Jaguar!
Driver assists abound – Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), traction control, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) ...
Jaguar XF features three engine choices: a 300-horsepower 4.2-litre V8 with 420 Nm of torque, and a 420-horsepower 4.2-litre supercharged V8, which pumps out 560 Nm, and, lastly, a naturally-aspirated 3-litre V6 with a hefty output of 240 horsies.
I test-drove the 4.2 naturally-aspirated V8 and was completely impressed by the driving experience. It was suave and relaxed in traffic, fast and steady on the highway, and quick and agile up Jebel Hafeet's famed mountain curves – overall, excellent in all regards.
And lastly, let me mention Jaguar's adaptive cruise control feature, which seamlessly keeps you at the distance of your choice from the car ahead of you, matching its speed – it decelerates, you decelerate automatically; it picks up speed, you also follow (up to the maximum speed you set in the system).
So, in a sense, you have completely relaxed highway driving, never having to repeatedly enter in and out of cruise because of variations of speed of the car in front.
I felt the new Jaguar XF is a serious contender in the mid-size luxury category, and quite frankly hope to see many more on the UAE roads: it is such a beautiful car!
Ah, I almost forgot, "the visual excitement of a coupe, but room inside for five adults", Jaguar reminds you. Yes, it's true. It looks so hot, and it feels so light, that one needs reminding that this is actually a family car!
XF is the first expression of Jaguar's new design language in a saloon car, and Al Tayer Motors is backing it up strongly with an amazing support package – one year free insurance,
zero down payment, five years/100,000 km free service, five-year/250,000 km warranty...