When the first Jaguar XF appeared on the scene in 2007, it was quite something.
Created by Jaguar’s head of design, Dumfries-born Ian Callum, it broke new ground on what had been traditional Jaguar exterior styling but it was on the inside that there were the biggest changes.
Rather than the conventional gearchange lever in the central console, a selector knob rose up with the ignition, accompanied by air vents which materialised almost magically from the dash trim. Along with phosphor blue ambient lighting the car had an added USP over the competition, especially the executive models from the Germans.
It was a radical step forward for Jaguar and went down especially well in the business car segment, setting a new benchmark for aesthetics and driving dynamics.
Not surprisingly, the XF went on to become the most-awarded Jaguar ever.
Eight years on, the sparkle had started to fade. When I took to the road in one of the last of their first generation top-of-the-range models at the tail end of 2014 I was more than a touch disappointed.
I felt that things hadn’t really moved on that much since the first XF was unveiled. The competition like the BMW 5 Series, the Audi A6 and Mercedes E Class were all brimming with new ideas and technology and I couldn’t help feeling that the XJ had been left looking more than a little ‘last year’ and outdated.
It was just a small point but something as seemingly insignificant as the indicator stalk felt flimsy and the overall touch and feel was less than we’d come to expect from a car in this £40K-plus bracket.
It was clear to me then that the XF was overdue for a makeover, if not a complete facelift.
I’m delighted to say that they’ve gone for the full works for the second generation model which goes on sale in September.
Even with a more impressive front end and an extra window behind the rear door it retains the distinctive Jaguar family look but has lost a lot of weight – almost 200 kgs – and is now the lightest car and most fuel-efficient and at 104 g/kms, with the lowest CO2 output of any combustion engine car in the premium D-segment. The price is also more attractive, starting at £32,300.00 on-the-road.
Built at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant, it slips into the saloon car range between the XE, which has been around for just three months, and the big XJ limousine.
It uses Jaguar’s aluminium-intensive architecture to achieve the weight savings while increasing torsional stiffness of up to 28 per cent.
It looks bigger than the outgoing model, but that’s a trick of the eye. At 4,954mm long, it’s actually shorter and lower than the previous model, but because the wheelbase is 51mm longer and the front overhang is 66mm shorter, there’s 15mm more legroom, 24mm more kneeroom and up to 27mm more headroom in the rear seats.
Powertrains range from a 163PS Ingenium diesel and six-speed manual to a 380PS V6 supercharged petrol with eight-speed automatic transmission.
I haven’t yet had the chance to drive the new car – I’ve only seen and touched an early specimen, but I’m assured by Jaguar’s engineers that the light, stiff body is fundamental to its dynamics. Double wishbone front suspension and integral link rear suspension, combined with near-50:50 weight distribution, deliver a balance between ride and handling.
Added to that advanced passive damper technology is designed to return a quality ride through an extra valve which reduces damping forces at low speeds. The Adaptive Dynamics system monitors body movement 100 times a second and wheel movement 500 times a second to determine the best damper settings for the driving conditions.
Jaguar Configurable Dynamics technology which is fitted to the XF S, allows the driver to individually tailor settings of the dampers, steering, engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.
All-Surface Progress Control, developed for low-speed driving in difficult conditions, automatically manages the brakes and the throttle to deliver the best possible traction, allowing the car to pull away smoothly. All the driver has to do is steer.
The new interior is impressive and packed with state-of-the-art technology. Infotainment and connectivity is the most advanced Jaguar has ever offered. The all-new InControl Touch Pro system builds on the InControl Touch, and supports all the same features – including InControl Apps, InControl Remote and Wi-Fi hotspot – but as an option there’s a 10.2-inch touchscreen and Dual View technology which simultaneously allows the driver to see information such as navigation, while the front seat passenger watches TV or a DVD. Lower priced models, like the featured car, have a more conventional, 8-inch touchscreen found in the XE, but even this lets you connect your phone to the system and see your apps displayed.
There’s also an optional colour laser head-up display, which is smaller and lighter than that offered by competitors and generates high contrast images which are easier to read in strong sunlight.
It’s the first Jaguar to offer adaptive full-LED headlights. With two banks of LEDs and reflectors – one for dipped beam, the other for main beam – they generate light with a colour temperature closer to that of daylight than is achievable with Xenon lights and at the same time, energy consumption is reduced.
The whole package is impressive, even in the base model, and some fabulous work has been done to bring the new car bang up to date. It may be overdue but it’s been worth waiting for.
CAR: Jaguar XF Prestige 2.0 i4D manual
PRICE: £32,300
ENGINE: 1999cc 4 cyl 16 valve
POWER: 163 PS
TORQUE: 380 Nm
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 132 mph 0-62 mph 8.7 secs
MPG: 70 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 104 g/km
TT Rating: 
