New Breed of Jaguar

Embedded among glamour shots and paragraphs of high-toned prose in the XF’s press kit is concrete information that piques our curiosity and will make the wait until March 2008, when the XF debuts as a 2009 model, all the more unbearable.

While not going so far as to call the XF a “four-door coupe” like Mercedes-Benz does with its CLS-Class, the XF has “the visual excitement of a coupe, but room inside for five adults,” Jaguar said. The effect is achieved by a combination of a low, swooping roofline and high beltline so common to luxury sedans these days.

“It has always been my career goal to return Jaguar to its rightful place as leader in automotive design,” said Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum in the press kit. “Cars like the original XJ6 left a lasting legacy and my ambition has been to create something as seminal. The XF is that car.”

We could go on at length inadequately describing what the car looks like, how its hindquarters smack of Aston Martin cars and whether Callum succeeded in his goal. Instead, we'll let you decide for yourself: Check out our 2009 Jaguar XF slideshow.

The Engine: It Purrs and it Roars

At least initially, the XF will come with a choice of two V8 engines — a 4.2-liter V8 packing 300 hp, and a supercharged version of the same engine with an output of 420 hp. The outgoing S-Type offered a less-powerful V6 variant at a lower price point, but the XF will not have one as Jaguar aims to push back up market.

Both engines will be mated to six-speed automatic transmissions featuring the Jaguar Sequential Shift System, which lets the driver select gears using steering wheel-mounted paddles. No manual gearbox will be offered.

If this engine/transmission setup works as well as it already does in the XK and XKR coupes and convertibles, then the new XF will be a hot performer and give German and Japanese luxury sedans stiff competition.

Jaguar engineers had two main goals with regard to the ride of the new XF, according to comments in the press materials from Chief Engineer Mike Cross: make it feel as sporty as it looks and uphold the balance of athleticism, comfort and refinement that Jaguars are known for.

The base model employs a passive suspension system, while the supercharged model gets an active setup, Jaguar’s latest Computer Adaptive Technology Suspension, or CATS. Essentially, CATS uses sensors and computer input to adjust the suspension to road conditions and driving style, thus balancing sportiness and ride comfort.

Like many luxury cars these days, the XF’s power-assisted steering system behaves differently according to the vehicle’s speed: The steering will feel light at low speeds (good for parking) and tighter at high speeds (good for highway cruising).

The XF can roll on 18, 19 or 20-inch wheels. Its brakes are likewise large, with the standard model using rotors almost 13 inches in diameter up front, and the supercharged version’s nearly topping 14 inches. The rear brakes on both models are also ample, pushing 13 inches in diameter.

The Interior: It Looks Like a Jag

Pictures of the XF’s interior indicate what you’d expect: high-quality materials arranged in an understated design. There’s leather and wood, but less of the latter than in the past as a nod to Jaguar now looking more forward than back. Blue halo lighting adds to the feeling of coolness. “We have found exciting new ways to say ‘luxury,’” said Alister Whelan, interior designer at Jaguar, in the press kit. “The lines are clean and pure, the materials are very familiar, but with a very modern flavor — from soft-grained leathers to real wood veneers with a bold, contemporary spin.”

The XF is equipped with all of the contemporary technological accoutrements you’d expect in a modern luxury vehicle. For instance, it’s Bluetooth compatible. The car can also be fitted with a high-end sound system from a company known to audiophiles, Bowers & Wilkins.

There are some innovative details that Jaguar hopes will “surprise and delight” buyers — using a common marketing expression. For one, the JaguarSense system detects hand motion to control cabin lighting so that drivers don’t have to take their eyes off the road to hunt for switches. And vents automatically rotate open when the car is turned on.

The Knob: Jaguar’s iDrive?

One of the most intriguing elements of the XF’s interior is the centrally located JaguarDrive Selector, a rotary knob that resembles that of BMW’s widely criticized iDrive system. In the XF’s case, however, the JaguarDrive Selector is primarily meant to replace the traditional upright gear selector used in most vehicles with automatic transmissions.

After pressing the nearby start button to bring the engine to life, the knob apparently raises into the driver’s hand to allow gear-selection. We can’t wait to try this ingenious new spin on the old shift lever. Sport and sport-plus modes are also available.

If the XF’s safety equipment is any indication, this cat won’t leave drivers entirely to their own devices out on the open road. In keeping with the latest trends in safety technology in the luxury-car class, the XF provides a full complement of electronic aids designed to enhance the driving experience and help keep car and driver intact during emergency maneuvers or when an accident can’t be avoided. They include Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), traction control, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and, on the supercharged model, Dynamic Mode, which allows the driver to disable DSC and burn expensive rubber all over town.

Check back for more coverage as new information is released when the car debuts next month at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

In Pictures: 2009 Jaguar XF Slideshow

Return to: Page 1

Page: 1   2