The F-Type is the pinnacle of grace, the F-Pace provides the maximum of space.
Looking to hit a more balanced mix of Jaguar’s tagline, grace, pace, and space? That’ll be the XF sedan, the vehicle Jag would hope to be the mainstay large sedan carrying its brand.
This sort of big executive cruiser is what made Jaguar its name in the first place. Well, that and a certain tendency to flop down on the side of the road with some kind of mechanical fault. The XF is bigger than the XE, which takes on the BMW 3 Series, and a little smaller than the XJ, which is supposed to be a British take on the Mercedes S-Class.
The XF is the one meant to be the descendant of cars like the gorgeous Mk II saloon, with four-doors worth of practicality and plenty of performance to go with it. However, thus far this year, Canadian buyers have been fairly cool on the XF. Sales are down by half, as everyone buys crossovers instead.
Are people just overlooking a winner? Let’s have a look and see if the classic Jaguar format still has its charms.
Design
The first good news that greets your eyes as an XF rolls up is a little of that quintessential British quality so absent from the current market: restraint. Even Aston Martin has wandered away from trying to make its cars handsome, opting instead for striking in an attempt to woo a buying public grown used to big grilles and plenty of aggressive styling.
The XF keeps its growling subtle, with a pair of Jaguar-emblem fender vents being the only real accent on the sides of the vehicle, a set of discreet dual exhausts out back, and a not-overlarge corporate grille up front. In a fairly neutral colour, the XF can fade into the background somewhat, but it’s still a good-looking machine.
But skip the usual black/white/silver palette with this one. If you’re looking at a Jaguar instead of the more obvious BMW or Mercedes-Benz option, you’re obviously interested in something outside the mainstream already. The XF looks absolutely stunning in deep Rosello Red or midnight-hued Loire Blue.
Environment
If its exterior is as sharply tailored as a Saville Row suit, the XF’s inside is a bit of a letdown. It’s not that anything is lacking in terms of feature content, more that the use of material here isn’t up to the real-wood heft of Jaguars of the past.
Compared to BMW’s somewhat busy-looking interiors, the XF is at least cleanly executed and simple looking. Compared to the high-tech look of a modern Mercedes, it’s more than a little dated.
Still comfort levels are high, and the rear seats offer plenty of space. The rear trunk is powered, and at 505 litres of volume, has ample space for any sort of weekend getaway you might like.
Performance
It’s still possible to get a rear-drive version of the XF in some markets, but the Canadian luxury segment has long turned towards all-wheel-drive only. The standard engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder producing 247 horsepower or 296 h.p., depending on specification, but this week’s tester came equipped with the more vigorous 3.0-litre
supercharged V-6.
Being supercharged, the V-6 option has a more linear power curve, with plenty of low end torque. Peak power is a stout 380 h.p. at 6,500 r.p.m. and 332 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 r.p.m. Modern turbocharged engines often surge at around 2,000 r.p.m. and then trail off, but the Jag’s V-6 has a nice smooth powerband.
The eight-speed automatic is predictable and not overly aggressively tuned. Driven smoothly, it responds in kind. There are a couple of sportier driving modes that dial things up, but the XF is happy to move smoothly through the gears.
On paper, the XF isn’t quite as quick as some of its rivals, notably the Mercedes-Benz AMG 43. Really though, we’re talking tenths of a second here, almost undetectable in the real world.
Measured from behind the wheel rather than on the spec sheet, the XF is plenty quick, with a satisfying growl that seems more potent than six cylinders. Still, you have to wish that there was still a V-8 option at the top of the range.
Grip and poise are excellent. Though less nimble than some of the German rivals, the XF still has plenty of genuine pace to be worthy of the Jaguar badge.
Features
At $59,100 to start, the XF is competitively priced against the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. This week’s S model tipped the scales at $75,970, coming equipped with AWD, navigation, and the supercharged V-6.
Infotainment is a bit of a mixed bag. The screen is a high resolution affair, but Jaguar hasn’t quite graduated to sister company Land Rover’s more elegant control surfaces. Turning on the heated seats requires more steps than it should in a touchscreen menu.
Fuel economy as reported is acceptable with the four-cylinder option, and there’s a diesel for long distances. The V-6 is thirstier than advertised. Official figures are 10.4 litres/100 kilometres in the city, and 8.4 l/100 km on the highway, but the XF seems to consistently consume a couple of litres per 100 km worse than that.
Green light
Elegant looks; comfortable ride; plenty of space.
Stop sign
Dated interior; thirsty engine; infotainment is just OK.
The Checkered Flag
A big, fast, old-school saloon that’s worthy of the Jaguar badge. Still, maybe it’s time for Jaguar to bring a little futurism to its sedans.
Competition
Mercedes-Benz E-Class ($62,300): One place trickle-down economics works? The Mercedes sedan range. Where once you had to get an S-Class to get all the bells and whistles, the current E-Class is absolutely crammed with high-tech features.
Further, there’s the new mid-range AMG 43 models, which are not quite as fast and fuel-swilling as the full AMGs, but have plenty of performance. It’s an obvious choice, but the E-Class is the segment leader for a reason.
