The Jaguar XF is situated in a market which is jam-packed with classy, premium rivals
Jaguar’s XF has always had a tough job on its hands. Despite being good to drive and good to look at too, it’s situated in a market which is jam-packed with classy, premium rivals. The XF has always been a class-leader dynamically but has fallen down due to some issues with the interior.
However, Jaguar has decided to address this with the new XF, which brings a sharper interior as well as a cleaner and more refined range of engines. Let’s take a look at what it’s like.
What’s new?
As before, the XF is available as both a saloon and striking Sportbrake estate, but following on from that the updates are pretty comprehensive. Though the exterior of the car has been lightly refreshed, the more far-reaching updates apply to the interior.
A revised infotainment has been fitted, while active road noise cancellation further increases refinement by making the cabin as quiet as possible. Importantly, Jaguar has also reduced the starting price of the XF by £2,410.
What’s under the bonnet?
There are a variety of engine options available for the XF, with two petrol and a mild-hybrid diesel.
‘Our’ car - badged P300 - uses the most powerful petrol, bringing 247bhp and a sub-six second 0-60mph time. It’s a beautifully smooth engine, but with fuel economy of around 33mpg it isn’t the most economical. Those who are after lower fuel costs would be far better suited opting for the mild-hybrid diesel.
What’s it like to drive?
When it comes to the executive car class, refinement is king - and the XF does a superb job in this respect. The active noise cancellation makes a real impact here as it manages to isolate a lot of exterior noise from entering the cabin. It transforms the XF into a quiet and comfortable cruiser.
The steering is light and well-judged, while the all-wheel-drive system fitted to our test car provided a little more traction on the wet and slippery January roads.
How does it look?
There has never been any debate about the XF’s looks - this is one classy thing indeed. It’s probably why Jaguar felt little need to tinker with the car’s appearance, only adding a redesigned grille, lower air intakes and LED headlights with a ‘double-J’ light signature.
The rear of the car has been given a bit of nip-tuck, too, but this is a largely understated exterior update - and that’s no bad thing.
What’s it like inside?
Though the changes to the exterior might be limited, those made to the interior are far more widespread. Previous Jaguar models felt like they were lacking some sparkle inside, but the first impressions of this new interior show that it’s finally up there with German rivals.
The dashboard is wrapped in high-quality leather, while the new Pivi Pro infotainment system has been impressively well integrated. A pleasing number of physical buttons complement the touchscreen system, too, something we’ve missed on many recent cars.
What’s the spec like?
Jaguar likes to do trims slightly differently to other manufacturers, which is why you choose between a regular or sporty R-Dynamic first, then you opt for which specification you’d like after that.
Standard equipment on the standard car - which is priced from £32,585 - brings LED headlights, automatic wipers and an 11.4-inch infotainment system with JLR’s latest Pivi Pro software. Move up to R-Design and you’ll find a sporty body kit added alongside 18-inch alloy wheels and sports suspension. Whichever XF you opt for, there’s likely to be a lot of equipment fitted as standard.
This new XF represents a real leap forward compared with the older car. While the good looks remain unchanged, it’s the huge upgrades for the interior which really shine through here. These have helped it elevate it to a level akin to that of the best-in-class models, and given that the starting price has been lowered, it’s an even more compelling option.
Coupled with the refined and comfortable driving experience, the XF has really become an excellent choice in this segment.