Jaguar XF

It's been a long time coming. Eight years late, some would say. For it was in 1999 that Jaguar launched the S-type, its new mid-sized executive saloon to battle the Teutonic might of the 5-series/A6/E-class. From day one, the S was saddled with yesteryear looks that owed more to Jaguar's 1950s past than the new millennium marketplace it was joining.

Sensibly, Jaguar has gone back to the drawing board with its successor, unveiled today. The XF marks such a departure for the Coventry firm that it's ditched the old-world name to reflect the next chapter of Jaguar design. And this is a radical change. Out go the S-type's awkwardly retro nose, saggy bottom and unhappy proportions, to be replaced by something immediately different, more modern. Some insiders call it a Marmite design - one whose flavor you'll either love or hate. Be sure to tell us what you think by clicking 'Add comment' at the bottom.

• It looks more like a Ford/Aston Martin hybrid from up here!

Be prepared to be surprised - shocked even - when you first clap eyes on an XF. It is different to any Jaguar you've seen before. The boot no longer tapers down at the rear, as Jag saloons have done for so long - it's a edgy, rising lid-line, to the benefit of aerodynamics. Note also the steep rake of the front and rear windscreens - the back window is as steeply angled as that on an XK coupe, incidentally. Small wonder it cleaves the air so efficiently, with a drag coefficient of just 0.29.

There's more sharp edge and wedge everywhere, and less of the rounded radii that made the S-type look out of date before it had even gone on sale. Is there a hint of the Ford group's Mondeo around the rear haunch (above)? Maybe, but the slick and modern rear three-quarters is one of the best angles on the new XF.

• Wooah. That's a very different front end!

It certainly is. As trailed on the C-XF concept car shown at the Detroit show in January 2007, the XF has a distinctive new snout: an upright rectangular grille frames the company's growler badge, and it's flanked by unusually wide flowing headlamps, with just a whiff of Jaguar's traditional round lens in its outline.
The sides, too, have a lot of form, with two signature lines - a strong sewage line and a subtler crease halfway up the doors - providing flowing movement in the flanks. Notice, also, the vertical gill just ahead of the front doors, fast becoming a Jaguar signature flourish.

Jaguars are designed from the outset to wear the biggest wheel/tire combination in each marketplace; the XF sports rims between 17in and 20in in diameter (an inch bigger than rivals, claims Jag) for a purposeful stance.

• But the XF's interior is even more radical...

The exterior might raise some eyebrows, but the XF's cabin is perhaps its crowning glory. This is no stuffy Jag interior of old. It's designed to appeal straight to the young and middle-aged execs this car must attract if Jaguar is to reverse its fading fortunes.

Step inside and you're immediately struck by its simplicity. There is no gear lever or handbrake to clutter the center console. Nor are the air vents visible (they swivel open like eyelids when the ignition is fired up). And there isn't much wood, either, the designers preferring a metallic strip that stretches the full width of the fascia. Tree lovers can of course specify veneers, and there are three choices: American walnut, burl walnut and dark oak.

The early car previewed, prodded and poked was a Supercharged V8 and it felt roomy and well made. Quality is one area Jaguar has already cracked, its products regularly scoring highly in the JD Power reliability surveys on both sides of the Atlantic.

• Jaguars with gadgets! Whatever next?

Online was the first outlet in the world to scoop Jaguar's new transmission selector. And, yes, it is essentially a gimmick, albeit one that we think will go down well with customers. It works like this.

The Jaguar Drive Selector replaces a conventional gearstick. Sitting flush with the center console, it rises electrically when the ignition is turned on. It's a metallic rotary dial (not dissimilar to BMW's iDrive control) that twists to change gear on the standard six-speed automatic box, rotating easily between P, R, N and D. We've tested it and its action is pleasant and seamless. Importantly, it frees up oodles of extra space on the console. Jaguar Drive Selector is standard on every XF and they all come with paddles behind the wheel, too. The change is claimed to be quicker than on the XK sports cars and we reckon buyers will quickly adapt to the new gear lever. It's pretty cool and blessedly simple to operate.

It doesn't end with a novelty gearstick, either. There are proximity interior lights; waft your palm near the cabin lights and they switch on. And the dial lights, door trims and transmission selector have cool blue LEDs built in, casting a modern, technical glow across the cockpit at night.

• And how will it drive?

The refreshingly modern XF body is wrapped around an architecture pilfering bits from across the Jaguar range, especially the outgoing S-type. Which is no bad thing. For all its old-fashioned looks, the one thing the S does really well is drive. However, one thing the XF misses out on is Jaguar's world-class aluminum technology - and that's a shame.

It's built predominantly from steel (albeit with some alloy suspension parts) and won't win any weight advantage over its mostly steel-bodied rivals. The lightest XF, the 3.0-litre V6 petrol, weighs in at 1679kg (at least a hundred kilos heavier than a 530i or A6 3.2), ballooning to a more substantial 1842kg for the supercharged V8 (another 100kg over an E500).

Blame Jaguar's cash-strapped finances. Developing an all-new aluminum platform is an expensive business and the bean counters decided early on that it was preferable for the XF to use conventional steel pressings, and invest the money saved in design and technology. Was this a wise decision? We'll reserve judgment until we've driven the XF...

• What's the XF's mechanical spec then?

The body shell is bang on the class norm in size. Its length stretches to 4961mm, it's 1877mm wide and a slinky 1460mm tall. Jag claims it's the stiffest car in its class (but then they all say that, don't they?).

Being based largely on a lot of carry-over S-type mechanicals, it's obviously front-engined and rear-drive. Although some of the pressings of the monocoque are the same, the suspension is largely new, borrowing know-how from the aluminum XK's set-up, and every model comes with an auto transmission; no manual option will be offered on the XF.

There's a deployable bonnet, that pops up in a fraction of a second in a frontal accident to provide a cushioning gap to protect pedestrians' heads from the unforgiving engine block below the hood. And Jaguar has surpassed itself in the lengthy alphabet soup of safety acronyms with which to bamboozle the casual buyer in the showroom: there's EBA, EBD, ABS, DSC, CBC, EDTC and UCL... some familiar, others less so. The latter, by the way, is Understeer Control Logic - which trims the brake and throttle settings to avoid any unseemly hedgerows.

• What engines does the new Jaguar XF have under that long bonnet?

Four engines will be offered in Europe. Unsurprisingly in this carbon-obsessed age, the diesel will be the big seller in Europe, whereas the V8 petrols will be the only option in the US at launch:

• 3.0 V6 petrol, 238bhp, 216lb ft, 249g/km CO2
• 4.2 V8 petrol, 298bhp, 303lb ft, 264g/km
• 4.2 V8 petrol, supercharged, 416bhp, 413lb ft, 299g/km
• 2.7 V6 turbodiesel, 207bhp, 320lb ft, 199g/km
  

There's something for everyone, from a brisk diesel (0-60mph in 7.7sec) to the devilishly fast supercharged V8 (the same benchmark in a Porsche-worrying 5.1sec), a car that just breaches the magical 100bhp per liter mark.

No mention of the R yet, but the supercharged 4.2 debuts in the SV8. Jaguar has considerable success with its performance brand, and the engineers are busy fettling the XFR; expect more power, a honed chassis and meaner looks for Coventry's M5 challenger.

• Hmmm, so it's a question of new clothes, old heart?

It's true that Jaguar has decided to concentrate on the cosmetics with the XF. And why wouldn't it? After years of criticism for dull designs holding back fine dynamics, it's surely wise to make sure the XF looks fresh and modern and family-friendly to lure buyers away from the usual German suspects.
That's why there's so much attention paid to the modern interior with its funky air vents, slick dials and novel lighting packages. The glove box even opens automatically when you hold your hand nearby. (Engineers already admit a fear that customers may get clonked knees, though!).

It'll even be practical, with a 500-liter boot (540 with the space-saver spare, and a huge 960 if you tip the seats forward), and Jaguar promises a generous spec, with leather-trimmed wheel, eight-speaker stereo standard on every model.

• Verdict

First UK sales start in March 2008 when all four engines will be available. The XF will be a four-door only, for now at least. Jaguar is toying with the idea of an estate and coupe version, but times are tight and they're unlikely to appear for a long time, if at all. Prices will be competitive for the class, kicking off at £33,900 for either V6, rising to £45,500 for the V8 and £54,900 for the supercharged SV8. Three trim levels are Luxury, Premium Luxury and SV8.

Would we buy one? Hell yes. The XF is a refreshing bolt in the arm for a company that's currently in commercial crisis, as potential buyers circle now that Ford has announced its intention to sell off Jag and Land Rover.
Sometimes people produce their best work when backed into a corner and we suspect that you could say the same about Jaguar. The XF is the product of a company forced to make urgent changes. And on first experience, it has worked a treat.

The only disappointments are the XF's burgeoning weight and the focus on gadgetry over meaningful technology such as hybrid clean-fuel solutions. And the looks? We'll let you decide that one. Click 'Add comment' and tell us what you think.