Jaguar XF

First generation (X250, 2007-2015)

The XF was developed at Jaguar's Whitley design and development HQ in Coventry and is built at Castle Bromwich Assembly facility in Birmingham. During its development the XF was known by its codename X250.

The XF was launched at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, following the public showing of the C-XF concept in January 2007 at the North American International Auto Show. Designed by Jaguar's design director Ian Callum, it was a significant design change from its predecessor. The styling of the finalised production XF varies from that of the C-XF, most notably around the front lights and nose, which incorporates an oval mesh grille harking back to the original Jaguar XJ of 1968. The boot lid retained the S-Type's chromed blade to its edge, but also included a "leaper" Jaguar logo as well.

The interior included some unique features such as the air conditioning vents which are flush-fitting in the dash, rotating open once the engine is started, and a rotating gearshift dial called the JaguarDrive Selector which rises out of the centre console. Another departure from the traditional Jaguar cabin ambiance is the use of pale-blue backlighting to the instruments, switchgear, and around major control panels. Some minor systems, such as the interior lighting, are controlled simply by touching the light covers. The glove compartment also opens to the touch. Unusually the XF has no cloth interior option, with even the entry level model being fully trimmed in leather - even areas that have employed plastic on previous Jaguars. Real wood veneers are available, but have been joined by aluminium, carbon fibre and piano black lacquer trims to create a modern look to the passenger compartment.

Customer deliveries commenced in March 2008, with a range of V6 and V8 engines.

Facelift (2011)

In April 2011, Jaguar revealed the details of a facelift for the XF at the New York International Auto Show, with manufacturing beginning in July 2011.

The facelift includes front and rear styling changes which are based on the original Jaguar C-XF concept car, internal trim enhancements, adaptive cruise control, and a new four-cylinder 187 bhp (139 kW; 190 PS) 450 N·m (332 lb·ft) 2.2-litre diesel engine, which is combined with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and stop-start technology to emit 149 g/km CO₂ and fuel consumption of 52.3 mpg_‑imp (5.40 L/100 km; 43.5 mpg_‑US).

Specs

The XF was launched with a variety of trims called, depending on country, 'SE', 'Luxury', 'Premium Luxury' (or 'Premium'), 'Portfolio' (or 'Premium Portfolio'), 'SV8' (or 'Supercharged') and 'R'. For the UK market, company car-friendly 'Executive Edition' and 'SE Business' models with a lower tuned versions of the 3.0 L and 2.2 L diesel engines respectively are available.

XF Supercharged (2009–2015)

The 2008 4.2-litre supercharged engined was replaced by the new 5.0-litre supercharged engine rated at 470 PS (346 kW; 464 hp), and came with Adaptive Dynamics (computer controlled continuously variable damping) and Active Differential Control (electronically controlled rear differential).

XFR (2009–2015)

The XFR was announced at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in January 2009 as a new performance derivative of the XF range, and featured the new 5.0-litre supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III engine rated 510 PS (375 kW; 503 hp), a revised front bumper and spoiler and 20-inch (510 mm) alloy wheels.

Police car

A special version of the XF Diesel S was announced in 2009 for the UK police car market, with the first police force orders in 2010. Its emergency vehicle equipment included a roof-mounted light bar with 3,600 light elements, side alley lights, blue and white strobing LEDs in the grille and blue flashing LEDs along the side of the car, blue and red flashing LED lights in the rear light clusters.

XF Sportbrake (2012–2016)

The Sportbrake was formally revealed in March 2012, and went on-sale date in October of the same year. It is available with all of the saloon's engines and has a loading capacity of 550 litres (19 cubic feet) with the seats up and 1,675 litres (59.2 cubic feet) with them folded. The maximum capacity surpasses that of rivals BMW 5-Series Touring, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, and the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. The extended roofline increases rear headroom by 48 mm (1.9 inches) and the rear bench includes a 60:40 split and remote-controlled 'one-touch' folding function. The load area is fitted with multi-function rails and is 1,970 mm (78 inches) long and 1,064 millimetres (41.9 in) wide.

XFR-S

An R-S version of the XF was confirmed in 2012 following on from a picture that Jaguar released shortly before the Los Angeles Motor Show. It uses the same 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine as the XKR.

The engine produces 550 PS (400 kW) and 680 N·m (500 lbf·ft) of torque. The XFR-S does 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph (299 km/h). The XFR-S differs from the normal XFR as it has bespoke 20-inch Varuna-design alloy wheels, wider front grills and carbon fibre. The front grills improve aerodynamic efficiency as does the large rear wing. Combined, they cut lift by 68%. At the back there is a rear diffuser and quad tailpipes. The suspension is stiffer by 30% and the electronic differential and stability control are reprogrammed to take the extra power.

Specifications

Aerodynamics

The car body was developed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) before the car ever saw a wind tunnel. Every area from the outer skin to the lightweight, composite undertray to the cooling airflow (even the shape of the exterior mirrors) was optimised using this process. The higher, squarer tail is more efficient aerodynamically than a lower, rounded one, and the XF's coupé-like roofline and raised bootlid lip improve airflow over the rear of the car.

Chassis

The basic substructure of the XF has been carried over from the S-Type, although the body has been stretched to meet crash safety requirements, and heightened to provide additional headroom while still retaining the "saloon within a coupé" proportions. The suspension and mountings are the same as that used on the XK, while the engine line-up is basically similar to that used in the S-Type.

Sound and vibration insulation is provided by the addition of a special underbody tray and engine mounts, a tuned exhaust system, and a double bulkhead between the engine bay and passenger compartment.

Engine specifications

All XF models are automatic and are Euro 5 compliant. The naturally-aspirated petrol 3.0 V6 was discontinued in Europe in 2010, but continues to be sold elsewhere.

Next Green Car (NGC) an organisation that analyses vehicle emissions and rates them from 0 (cleanest) to 100 (dirtiest) - analysed the emissions from Jaguar's current XF range: ADAC's EcoTest has also rated three of the diesel engines.

The 2.7-litre V6 diesel engine, replaced in 2009 with a new 3.0-litre V6 diesel AJ-V6D Gen III, came in two states of tune. The diesel engines are a product of the joint venture between Ford and Peugeot-Citroën.

Transmissions

The XF was launched with only an automatic gearbox, and all models initially used the six-speed ZF 6HP26 automatic transmission. For model years 2010-2012, some engines (the 3.0 l diesel and 5.0 l supercharged petrol) used the second generation six-speed ZF 6HP28 transmission. During 2012-2013, 8-speed ZF transmissions replaced the 6-speed boxes for all engines. The gears can either be selected using a rotary dial that rises from the centre console on start-up or can be manually controlled using paddles behind the steering wheel. AWD is available in both RHD and LHD markets with variances according to consumer demand for engine types. Smaller 2.0l diesel models are available in AWD in UK RHD, however petrol AWD models are not.

Sound system

The standard audio system comprises a ten-speaker, 250 W set-up that includes a radio, CD player, WMA and MP3 compatibility as well as USB storage devices.

From 2008 to 2012, there was an optional Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) sound system available. At its core there are 14 speakers which (with the exception of the aluminium high-frequency tweeters) employ B&W's Kevlar composite speaker cones. Each front door contains a 168 mm (6.6 in) woofer, a 100 mm (4 in) mid-range speaker and a 25 mm (1.0 in) dome tweeter (the latter two wired in parallel with a crossover), while each rear door houses a similar 168 mm (6.6 in) woofer and 25 mm (1.0 in) tweeter. As a centre speaker there is a 100 mm (4 in) full-range driver, similar to the two 100 mm (4 in) full-range 'surround' speakers located on the rear parcel shelf. The B&W system has been reviewed by journalists at Autocar magazine, who proclaimed it the best in-car system they have ever heard.

For 2013 models, Jaguar introduced the option of a new Meridian sound system upgrade instead of B&W; with a choice of 380 W 11-speaker or an 825 W surround sound 17-speaker system.

Multimedia interaction

A 7-inch full-colour screen is fitted to the dashboard of all XFs and can be used to control most multimedia systems. The same screen can also be upgraded with analogue and digital television capability. Available as an option is JaguarVoice which allows the driver to speak commands in order to control everything from the sound and navigation systems to telephone calls and the climate control system.

Safety

The XF was crash tested in 2010 by EuroNCAP and it gained a four star rating. The XF's result was seen as a disappointment by some car magazines. When retested in 2011, the XF turned in improved scores in adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian areas.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) also tested the XF and gave it a score of 32.38 points out of 37, giving it an ANCAP rating of 4 out of 5.

Thatcham's New Car Whiplash Ratings awarded the XF 'good' score for Geometric, Dynamic and Overall ratings.

Security

Deadlocks, an alarm and an engine immobiliser are fitted as standard to the XF. The car also locks itself when it reaches a pre-set speed to help protect against carjackings. The XF was tested by Thatcham's New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) organisation and achieved the following ratings:

Worldwide sales

Total sales are from 2009.

Critical reception

Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear reviewed the XFR during episode 5 of series 13. During the review he said: "I'm not going to, even for a minute suggest that it's [XFR] better than the M5, but it's as-good-as. And praise does not get higher than that". During the same episode The Stig managed a lap time of 1:26.7 s with the XFR, making the XFR only 0.5 s slower than its rival the BMW M5 (1:26.2).

Jaguar speed record

On 7 November 2008, a modified XFR was driven by Paul Gentilozzi of Rocketsports, who prepared the car, to a new Jaguar record of 225.675 mph (363.189 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The new record beat the previous Jaguar record of 217.1 mph (349.4 km/h) in an XJ220 in 1992. Changes to the stock vehicle included low-mounted rear spoiler, increased power to 510 PS (375 kW; 503 hp) by a remapped ECU, a modified air intake and exhaust system and revised supercharger settings.

Awards

Second generation (X260, 2015–)

The second generation XF (codename X260) was expected in UK showrooms in September 2015, with a phased roll-out to other markets to follow. It is the first Jaguar with LED headlamps. Because of extensive use of aluminium, the car will be 190 kg (419 lb) lighter than its predecessor. Engines range from 163 PS (120 kW; 161 hp) diesel to 380 PS (279 kW; 375 hp) petrol, with up to 700 N·m (516 lb·ft) of torque. The XF is available with the same eight-speed automatic transmission, and also carries a six-speed manual for the first time.

The car is 7 mm (0.3 in) shorter than the predecessor, but the wheelbase is 51 mm (2.0 in) longer, enabling the manufacturer to claim an increase in the space available for passengers in the back.

Design

The second-generation Jaguar XF is an evolution of the original J-Blade design pioneered in the original XF, with a largely similar silhouette.

Jaguar has been criticised in following competitors such as Mercedes-Benz and adopting a "Russian Doll" design philosophy, whereby largely identical styling is 'pinch-zoomed' and applied to models of different sizes, rather than imbuing each model with its own distinct character. Among other potential hazards, such a design philosophy relies on the assumption that buyers across different segments will have similar styling tastes, despite demographic variations.

XFL (2016-)

A long wheelbase version debuted at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show, with 140 mm (5.5 in) added to the wheelbase giving rear passengers 157 mm (6.2 in) more legroom and 116 mm (4.6 in) more kneeroom. It's the first aluminium-bodied car built in China. It debuts a couple of new tech features, with Clear Exit Detection warning passengers of opening the doors into traffic approaching from behind. With an eye on China’s poor air quality, there’s also new cabin air ionisation technology to make the air inside the car more comfortable. As many of these cars will be chauffeur driven, there’ll be wifi for rear passengers, along with the option of folding tables, massaging seats and electric window blinds. And for the driver, the latest InControl Touch Pro infotainment system with its 10.2-inch touchscreen works alongside a configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Two 2.0-litre I4 and one 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine will be offered, with all versions getting an eight speed auto box driving the rear wheels. 22 September 2016, Jaguar XF was launched in India for Rs. 4,950,000 Pricing for the XFL in China is 388,000 to 688,000 yuan.