Jaguar XF 3.0 TDV6 review

Jaguar XF 3.0 TDV6 review.

For – looks terrific, great quality, excellent drive, not German.
Against – can it differentiate itself from formidable opposition?
****  £58,355

Jaguar’s second generation mid-range XF saloon is lighter, sleeker and has new engines which replace some of the ones it inherited from its days as a Ford subsidiary.

It looks a bit like the old one, but Jaguar insists it’s all new. Competition remains harsh, including the BMW 5 series, Mercedes E class, Audi A6, Cadillac CTS, Lexus GS and Infiniti Q70.

This new Jaguar model has a 3.0 litre V6 diesel producing 296 hp driving the rear wheels which will power you to 60 mph from rest in 5.8 seconds. Base models use a new 2-litre four cylinder Ingenium diesel engine producing 161 or 178 hp. There may be even a V8 one day. All-wheel drive is optional. You can order a six-speed manual gearbox or an 8-speed automatic. There’s a bit more room inside than the old one and it looks suitably upmarket. There’s much connectivity to play with and a new 10.2 inch touchscreen.

You can choose additional technology like full-LED headlights, a laser head-up display, autonomous emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control with queue-assist.

The car’s designer is pleased with his work.

“I believe the all-new XF is the best looking car in its class. Elegant, handsome and with proportions that imbue a great sense of integrity – the all-new XF is true to the great tradition of sporting Jaguar saloons (sedans) while being completely of its time.” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar.

The old XF started the idea of a rotary gear shift controller, rotating air vents and phosphor blue ambient lighting to set the cabin apart from the competition. The new XF retains all this, and uses Jaguar’s aluminium-intensive architecture to enable weight savings of up to 418 lbs.

Needless to say, the ride and handling are top class, and the performance awesome.

Driver distraction
Jaguar Configurable Dynamics technology enables the driver to individually tailor settings of the dampers, steering, engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. To minimize driver distraction the new XF offers a color laser head-up display. Compared to competitor systems, this technology is said to be smaller, lighter, and generates high contrast images which are easier to read in strong sunlight.

Prices in Britain start at £32,300 if you want a six-speed manual gearbox. Most people will choose the 8-speed automatic, I’m sure. The lightness comes from more aluminium in the body, which prompts Jaguar to make an outrageous, unattainable claim that one version will get you 70.6 mpg. With all the furore surrounding the Volkswagen “dieselgate” scandal, you would think this kind of hyperbole would be a thing of the past. Jaguar though is not alone.

To minimise driver distraction the all-new XF offers a colour laser head-up display. Compared to competitor systems, this technology is smaller, lighter, and generates high contrast images which are easier to read in strong sunlight.

The new XF range consists of XF Prestige, XF R-Sport, XF Portfolio, and XF S. As well as the 161 hp and 178 hp 2.0-litre diesel manual and automatic, there’s model diesel S and a 375 hp 3.0-litre V6 petrol automatic.

(Jaguar provided train, hotel)

	Jaguar XF 3.0 TDV6
Engine:	3.0 litre V6 diesel
Power:	296 hp @ 4,000 rpm
Torque:	700 Nm @ 2,000
Gearbox:	8-speed automatic
Drive:	rear wheels
Acceleration:	0-60 mph 5.8 seconds 0-100 km/h 6.2
Top Speed:	155 mph-250 km/h
Fuel Consumption:	claimed combined 51.4 mpg-5.5 l/km
CO2:	144 g/km
Emissions class:	EU 6
Length:	4,954 mm
Width:	1,880
Height:	1,457
Weight:	1,750 kg
Wheel-base:	2,960
Suspension:	double wishbone/integral link
Boot capacity:	540 litres
Competition:	BMW 5 series, Mercedes E class, Audi A6, Cadillac CTS, Lexus GS, Infiniti Q70, Jaguar XE?
Would I buy one?	No
Rating:	****
Price:	£58,355 (base £49,945)
For:	looks terrific, great quality, excellent drive, not German
Against:	enough to differentiate itself from formidable opposition?