2009 Jaguar XF Preview

New Breed of Jaguar

A lot is riding on the 2009 Jaguar XF, which replaces the aging S-Type starting next fall.

The hotly anticipated 2009 Jaguar XF, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, isn't just a replacement for the staid midsize S-Type sedan that’s been on the market now for nearly a decade. It's an entirely different beast that looks like no Jaguar before it.

That’s both exciting and unsettling to company officials, but is good news for Jaguar fans that have lost interest in the company’s same-old products of late. “It’s going to be a bit scary for some people, but we need to do this in order to move us on," said Jaguar spokesman Tim Watson, in a phone interview.

Based on the information in a press kit, the XF will indeed move Jaguar forward, thanks to fresh design, loads of new technology and a promise to uphold the balance of comfort, athleticism and refinement Jaguar has already successfully blended in the XJ sedan and new XK sports car.

In Watson's words, the XF is "a new stake in the ground" for a company that used to bank on its predilection for retro styling and past success.

Erich Merkle, director of forecasting at IRN, a group that analyzes industry trends, agrees. “This is quite different from anything Jag has done in the past," he said. The styling is more modern than classic, which is a big change from the S-Type. Innovation abounds inside the car, with motion sensing technology, an innovative knob to operate the transmission, and what appear to be quality materials and craftsmanship.

Jaguar is aiming more up market now, after unsuccessfully reaching toward the lower end with the S-Type and X-Type. As a result the base V6 engine offered in the outgoing S-Type is being dropped in favor of a choice of two V8 engines, one generating 300 hp and a supercharged version putting out 400 hp.

Despite concerns that the XF may be coming too late in the game to help turn Jaguar around, Merkle does think that the new sedan, particularly one with the supercharged, 400-hp V8, will stack up favorably against competing models from Asian, American and German luxury carmakers.

What it all Means

At least on paper, Jaguar has made many improvements over the decade-old S-Type and drawn appropriately from its current, more modern design language. Just as the vehicle it replaces did, the XF will be competing against noted rivals, including the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac STS, Lexus GS and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

With the Jaguar brand potentially up for sale, the XF becomes a critically important car, not only as a competitor in the hotly contested midsize-luxury-sedan segment, but in terms of reinventing the company’s waning legacy. The XK Coupe and Convertible were the first step, now the XF must grab the baton and carry it forward. Or in Merkle's view, at least help Ford unload the brand altogether. “I think this could help give them that little push, and help Ford sell Jaguar, ultimately,” he said.

Jaguar’s Watson said that U.K. pricing is scheduled to be announced in the next few days, but "the conversion rate will make the car appear ridiculously expensive." We can expect North American pricing to be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Watson said the price will likely fall right in line with the competition, starting in the neighborhood of $50,000.