Jaguar rolls out production XF
28 August 2007 :: Filed under Saloon, Jaguar
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Final roll of the dice for the big cat
Creating a ripper of a concept like the Jaguar C-XF is all very well. But you’ll wish you hadn’t bothered when you wheel out a significantly toned-down production version and the insults start flying. And so it is with the new Jag XF saloon, officially revealed for the first time today. Whatever you think of it, the XF simply isn’t as dramatic and cohesive as the C-XF concept…
And as far as we’re concerned, drama is something that the XF can ill afford to be without. After all, with distinct pong of imminent death surrounding the company, Jaguar needs some pretty spectacular product in order to start shifting units. Customer good will and brand loyalty ain’t gonna cut it.
Neither, sadly, is the new XF if these first PR images are anything to go by. Gone is C-XF’s extreme, Mercedes CLS-rivalling roofline and glass house. Never to be seen again are those aggressive front light clusters. And subject to unceremonious defenestration are the C-FX’s sensuous surfaces. OK, the XF still has a vaguely four-door coupe vibe. But the fact that it’s a damn sight more conventional and less striking than a Mercedes model that’s been on sale for several years is a bit painful.
Production XF above, C-XF concept below. Oh, well…
Certainly some of the decisions the stylists made in turning the concept into reality seem odd. The aforementioned front light clusters are a good example. No doubt transferring the concept’s extreme roofline to the full production car might have been tricky, but surely there was no need to throw away those steely-eyed light clusters. It’s also a shame to see Jaguar made no effort to disguise or at least make the door handles less prominent, as per the show car.
Probably the only unambiguously positive thing we can say is that it is at least a lot better than the car car it replaces, the ghastly-looking S-Type.
But enough whinging for a moment, let’s deal with the technical details. The XF will be available at launch with four pretty familiar engines options. Predictably, therefore, Jag’s 4.2-litre bent eight will be making an appearance in both naturally aspirated 300bhp trim and blown by a supercharger to the tune of 420 ponies. The Ford-derived 3.0-litre V6, meanwhile, cranks out 240bhp. As for oil burning, there’s just one option – the well-regarded 2.7-litre twin-turbo six, good for around 204bhp.
For the record, the two six-pot engines will not be offered in the US. Performance numbers range from 7.9seconds to 60mph for the 3.0-litre six to 5.1 clicks for the supercharged V8. Both V8s are electronically limited to 155mph. All models are fitted with a conventional six-speed torque-converter auto gearbox.
It’s also worth noting that in terms of kerb weight, the brand new XF is a bit of an old-school bruiser. Even the lightest model clocks in at 1,670kg. The supercharged model packs an enormous 1,842kg.
UK pricing kicks off at £33,900 OTR for the 2.7-litre diesel model. Somewhat comically, the so-called residual value experts CAP and EurotaxGlass’s reckon the XF will boast best-in-class-residuals. That’s probably pure fantasy given the question marks that surround the very survival of Jaguar.
The XF will be shown publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt show on September 11th.
