Jaguar Land Rover Ireland has laid down the gauntlet to its closest competitors with the announcement of pricing for its all-new Jaguar XF. The Jaguar XF competes directly against the prevalent Audi A6, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with an entry price of €43,205 it is the least expensive model.
The original Jaguar XF was launched in 2007 with sales in excess of 280,000 worldwide up until the end of 2014. Jaguar has invested £400 million Sterling into its Castle Bromwich production facility where this new XF is constructed alongside the XE. The key differentiation to its predecessor is its advanced aluminium-intensive architecture, with 75 per cent of the car’s structure composed of aluminium. The result is a weight loss of 190 kilograms and an improvement in torsional stiffness. Its wheelbase has been extended by 51 millimetres, resulting in increased legroom (15mm) for rear seat passengers.
Irish motorists can choose from two diesel and two petrol-powered models. The diesel line-up consists of a 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine with two power outputs, 163hp and 180hp. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine offers 300hp and an impressive 700Nm of torque. For petrol advocates Jaguar has a 240hp 2.0-litre engine that emits 179g/km of CO2 and a sporty 3.0-litre V6 petrol that’s supercharged to produce 340hp and 450Nm of torque. This is the same engine that’s utilised to power the Jaguar F-TYPE sports car. The key seller in Ireland will undoubtedly be the 2.0-litre diesel variant. We drove the 163hp model at launch, it produces 104g/km of CO2, therefore qualifying for an annual road tax fee of €190. Jaguar claim a combined fuel consumption of 4.0L/100km (70.6mpg) for this variant. At €43,205 or €459 per month with Jaguar PCP the XF Business Edition comes suitably equipped with a host of standard specification, notably this price is for the six-speed manual transmission, the automatic transmission is available from the Prestige model upwards. The standard specification includes, satellite navigation, rear park aid, dual zone climate control, 8” touchscreen, lane departure warning, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control with speed limiter and rain sensing wipers. The Prestige model is priced from €45,995 with the R Sport commencing from €47,240 and the luxurious Portfolio model starting at €49,280.
The 2.0-litre diesel engine in our test car provided sufficient power (163hp) along our journey. It was mated to the optional slick eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, Jaguar has retained the elegant circular bezel for the gear selector that rises automatically out of the centre console when the car is started. On country roads the XF handles with impeccable manners, up front it has a double wishbone suspension with an integral link rear suspension, the ride remains composed along uneven sections of road. The electric power-assisted steering offers a communicative feel and is a real strongpoint to the driving experience.
The interior isn’t radically different to its predecessor, an eight inch colour touchscreen which controls all the cars infotainment systems takes centre stage. A 10.2-inch touchscreen will be introduced during 2016, along with a 12.3-inch TFT virtual instrument cluster. There is also an optional laser head-up display available. This new Jaguar XF is nestled between the Jaguar XE and XJ to complete their saloon car line-up. Jaguar are confident of achieving sales with this new XF that is competing in a segment that typically sells 4,000 vehicles annually.
