What about inside? Scaled-up XE or something smarter? But in the right colour and wearing a decent set of alloys, it’s very handsome indeed. It’s slippery too – Callum says that the drive for efficiency is going to return aero to the top of the list of demands – which might account for its slightly generic looking silhouette. It has a tight front overhang, and the guys didn’t fall asleep by the time they got to the rear – it’s lovely, with a ‘sixth light’ rear window and a chiselled boot line. The new XF is much roomier while being shorter and lower overall. Surprisingly, this is the first Ian Callum-designed Jaguar to replace a Callum-designed car (the F-type effectively replaces the XK – remember that?) The old Jaguar XF’s shape managed to distract you from its reheated S-type underpinnings, but it was miles away from the class best in terms of its packaging. Yes, maybe there is a bit of the Russian doll about it. To which it bears something of a distinct resemblance… The XE is only just landing on British roads and now they’re wheeling out its big brother.
2015 jaguar xf supercharged series#
It is a worthwhile alternative to the strong German opposition (Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class) and allows the new owner to portray an image of individuality not associated with any other vehicle in this segment.Wow. This is not a bad thing and in many ways it offers more Jaguar-like qualities than the XE in terms of space, technology and appeal. The new XF isn’t as defining a moment for the company as the first generation vehicle, as the new one builds on the strengths of XE rather than carving its own path (the F-Pace will be a marker vehicle when launched later this year). The range starts at R714 800 for the 2,0D Prestige and the 3,0 Supercharged S sells for R1 178 800. Somehow, the company managed to bring in the XF at a more competitive price. The weak rand is a topic that will feature in many future motoring reports and Jaguar was especially hard hit with the XE pricing locally. This should also help curb understeer during enthusiastic cornering. The latter was demonstrated at the launch as well as the torque-vectoring function using the engine power and electronic stability control to keep the desired radius around a turn in slippery conditions. To keep up with the market segment in terms of technology, Jaguar had to include systems like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist (which can steer the vehicle to keep it in lane) and parking assist. The upside of this unit is 4,3 L/100 km (114 CO 2 g/km) claimed fuel consumption and an impressive two-year/34 000km service interval.Īll engines are mated to the eight-speed ZF transmission. Where the 2,0-litre turbopetrol was impressively refined, the diesel unit displayed plenty of lag on pull away and sometimes sounded a bit agricultural for the application. The few corners we encountered were handled with aplomb, but I would like to delve further into the dynamic ability when we get a test car at a later stage.Īlso at the launch was the 2,0-litre turbopetrol and the new “Ingenium” 2,0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder units. The ride of the 3,0-litre supercharged R-Sport is firm (to be expected) but the damping is good and motorway cruising comfortable. Jaguar claims a mass saving of 190 kg compared with the previous model and it does feel more nimble and responsive from behind the wheel (now featuring electronic assist as opposed to hydraulic). The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system is easy to use and especially the clarity of the satellite navigation received praise during the launch event. The buyer is also able to individualise the choice of material and colours to a high degree. It is debatable if Jaguar has done enough with the cabin to rival the likes of the new E-Class, but fit and finish are good. Again, strong XE styling cues are evident, but the cabin of the higher spec models do feel more special.