Jaguar XF: 2017 Car of the Year contender

Brilliant chassis, but timid design and outrageous pricing neutered this cat.

JAGUAR’S previous-generation Jaguar XF of a decade ago was the company’s game-changer. The XF II, the first under Tata stewardship but wholly British in design and engineering, builds on much of its predecessor’s inherent strengths by adopting the brilliant lightweight rear-drive architecture from the excellent (and woefully underrated) Jaguar XE, and basically stretching it. Double wishbones, multi-links, the works…

Push the start button, and the XF’s grand-touring athleticism and finesse continue to flow through, whether you’re in the rorty 2.0-litre 25t turbo and 3.0-litre V6 35t supercharged petrols (both ex-Ford), or the new-fangled Ingenium 20d turbo-diesel, which excels for refinement as well as mid-range urge, with incredible frugality (the claim is 4.3L/100km) to boot. In all cases, kudos must go to the ZF-supplied eight-speed auto, which is surely one of the world’s best.

However, after the enduring and endearing handsomeness of the previous version (and XE), it appears that Jaguar’s designers somehow lost their nerve with XF II, diluting its confident stance and losing the perfect proportions.

Having the cheaper yet better-specified Mercedes-Benz E-Class to keep the XF honest highlighted Jaguar’s pricing folly. It’s as if nobody told the Brits that (most of) the Germans twigged nearly a decade ago that you can’t expect Australians to blindly throw more cash for equipment that others include in cheaper similarly sized models. The Leaping Cat cachet only reaches so far, especially when the Stuttgart taxi looks so much sharper and more contemporary inside and out…

Specs

BODY Type: 4-door sedan, 5 seats Boot capacity; 540 litres Weight: 1590 – 1750kg

DRIVETRAIN

Layout: front engine (north-south), RWD Engines: 1999cc 4cyl turbo-diesel (132kW/430Nm) 1999cc 4cyl turbo (177kW/340Nm) 2993cc V6 turbo-diesel (221kW/700Nm) 2995cc V6 supercharged (250kW/450Nm) 2995cc V6 supercharged (280kW/450Nm) Transmission: 8-speed automatic

CHASSIS Tyres: 245/45R18 – 245/40R19 ADR81 fuel consumption: 4.3 – 8.3L/100km CO2 emissions: 114 – 198g/km Collision mitigation: Yes Crash rating: 5-star (Euro NCAP) Prices: $82,754 – $129,065