Jaguar's already made a bid for a share of the seriously competitive entry-level sedan segment with the XE. Now it's hoping to entice those with a bit more money to burn by rolling out a midsize sedan with a bit more speed and style.
The 2016 XF introduced this week at the New York International Auto Show is the second generation of a car Jag trotted out in 2007, and it's not a radical departure. While working within the same broad strokes, Jag made noticeable improvements to just about everything. It's lighter, faster, more efficient, and more comfortable, and designed to make Jaguar competitive in what it calls the "business class" that includes the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Audi A6.
The XF is the second car to use Jaguar's aluminum intensive architecture, which is the result of a $600 million investment that debuted on the XE and will eventually spread to the rest of the lineup. Aluminum is stronger and lighter than steel (and cheaper and easier to produce than carbon fiber), so Jaguar was able to cut as much as 418 pounds (depending on the powertrain) compared to the old XF. It says the version with the four-cylinder diesel engine will be 176 pounds lighter than the competition (which competition, it didn't say). Front to rear weight distribution is near 50-50 with a human in the driver's seat.
Working from the front to the back of the car, designer Ian Callum and his team made this XF a touch shorter and lower than the outgoing model. But it feels bigger. Thanks to an extra two inches in the wheelbase, the rear seat gains .6 inches in legroom, nearly an inch in knee room, and more than an inch of headroom. The rear quarter windows will bring in light and make the back feel roomier, Callum says. At 5'11", I fit comfortably in the (heated) rear seats, despite the coupe-style roof that tapers down to meet the trunk---and helps efficiency by producing a svelte .26 coefficient of drag.
Jag didn't give out mpg figures, but says the gasoline-powered XF will be up to 3 percent more efficient than the current car, which delivers 23 mpg combined when equipped with the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder.
The XF will be come as rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, and with a variety of gas and diesel powertrains. Only two of those are coming to the US: The supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and ... another supercharged 3.0-liter V6. The first will deliver 340 horsepower. The latter, which will come with the sportier XF S, is tuned to pump out 380. Both offer 332 pound-feet of torque. Diesel eventually will make it to the US.
With technology borrowed from brother brand Land Rover, Jaguar equipped the XF with an "adaptive surface response" system that detects and compensates for tiny amounts of wheel slip (like beefed up traction control). "Progress control" is like cruise control for low speeds (2 to 19 mph) on snow or ice: Just set your speed, hold the wheel, and let the car make sure the precise amount of power is sent to the wheels so you don't slip or slide.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include lane keeping assist and drowsiness detection, both of which will nudge the driver if they see him slacking off, but won't take control of the car. The emergency braking system will stop the car if it think it's about to crash.
A 10.2-inch touchscreen displays an all-new infotainment system running an Intel quad-core processor. Drivers can customize the "homepage," and the all-important navigation system has some nice touches: As you approach the end of your trip, it will suggest you start looking for parking (and scout for spots) and show a panorama image of your destination.
We'll wait to drive the car before passing judgement, but so far it seems Jag has done the work needed to build a car that can compete with the Germans while offering something a bit unconventional. "A Jag doesn't have to be completely different," Callum says. "A Jag has to be a little bit different to be noticed."
And he's confident that edge will be enough to shake up the Germans, at least when it's spotted in the rear view mirror. "If you're in a BMW or an Audi, you'll move over."
