Thursday 21st April 2011

Jaguar Returns To 2007 Concept With XF

Facelifted exec 'turns up the styling volume' with new nose job

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The new for 2012 M/Y Jaguar XFR...

Jaguar has taken the wraps off its facelifted XF at the New York motor show. The new model features sharpened-up styling at the nose and tail, a new 2.2 litre diesel engine option, and a raft of small but significant detail changes.

The most obvious change to the latest XF is the new nose with re-profiled High Intensity Discharge headlamp clusters and LED DRLs. With a reshaped bonnet, wings and front intakes the effect is much closer to Jaguar's original C-XF advanced concept from 2007, which also featured HID lamps that were apparently not production viable when the XF first went on sale in '08.

Returning to the strikingly original C-XF concept is no accident, says Jaguar, which acknowledges it wants to 'turn up the visual volume' of its next generation cars as they're faced with increasingly extrovert styling from key competitors.

...and original concept - the 2007 C-XF

Nose job aside, the most significant element of the XF model revamp is the introduction of the critical 2.2 litre diesel at a whisker under £31k. It comes with a silky-smooth shifting 8-speed auto gearbox (yes we've tried it) and stop-start, and will open the XF option up to what is by far the highest sales volume segment in its sector.

The 188bhp engine is a longitudinal installation of the same engine JLR is putting in the Range Rover Evoque, and with 332lb ft of torque from 2000rpm the new diesel XF combines crisp performance with great economy and impressive refinement. Jag claims 0-62mph in 8.5secs, 52.3mpg and emissions of 149g/km. (We had 20 minutes at the wheel of a prototype earlier this month, and the 2.2 diesel seemed particularly impressive for its hushed high-speed motorway cruising.)

The model's stop-start system is interesting from a technical perspective, as it features a tandem solenoid starter motor which can spin up to flywheel speed before engaging, and a system to ensure the automatic gearbox's oil pressure is maintained for those 'we're going to stop, no hang on - we're off again' moments at junctions and roundabouts.

Other upgrades for the 2012 model year include reshaped seats, and various active safety and comfort system upgrades.

[OwenK]

Cracking.

Front end is fabulous - what it should have been from the start.
Not sure about the extra bits on the rear clusters, I'll reserve judgement till I see one on the road.

My only comment is that in the dark shot with the front DRLs on, squint a little bit and it could be a next gen A4...

[TAHodgson]

Not saying it's not good looking, but is anyone else getting a whiff of Insignia from the front end?

...Just me then

[kambites]

Hmm, it looks like they stole the headlights off a very angry 3-series. I don't like the front indicator treatment at all. Still better than the old front end, though.

I preferred the old rear lights.

[bob1179]

It looks chuffing awesome and I really want one. It's nice to see Jaguar knocking out such a cracking motor, good to see they have launched the small diesel option too, this can only help shift more cars.

[Oddball RS]

In the metal it doesn't look how it was described does it? its still watered down.

[Six Fiend]

Ah, the rear lights have been finished

I like it rather a lot

[LuS1fer]

Still a fairly mainstream and unexceptional design IMHO though I got quite excited when I saw the concept photo.

[Liquid Knight]

Just mentioned this in conversation.

"I thought the XE was a Vauxhall engine is the XF the replacement?"

Geeeeez-arse!

[ANS2vrs370]

Excellent, when is the estate coming out?

[jazzyjeff]

TAHodgson said:

Not saying it's not good looking, but is anyone else getting a whiff of Insignia from the front end?

...Just me then

Yep...(where's that tumbleweed smiley? )

Specsavers beckons...!

[Mannginger]

God I'm getting old - I can't believe this car is due for a facelift already! :timeflies:

I have really grown to like the XF a lot though and the facelift does freshen it / improve it IMO

[Zod]

It's a huge improvement. Now Jaguar has got the lights right on half of its range:

XF - both ends
XJ - front, but not rear
XK - neither end.

[toppstuff]

And about time too ! I know the original XF has been a great success, but the headlights on the original are just awful. They ruin the whole face of the car. The new one is how it should have been in the first place.

The original car had the face of a proper munter.

[sjmoore]

Much better looking. But why didn't they do this in the beginning?

Wonder what impact it will have on sales.

I was reading the main German car magazine yesterday (Auto, Motor und Sport) and they had the car sales figures in Germany for the first couple of months of 2011. I was amazed to see how few Jaguars were sold. I think it was around 300 (that is all models). Compared with around 2500 Porsches and I think 20,000-40,0000 BMWs (can't remember the proper figure). The cars themselves seem to get very good write ups in the German magazines...but nobody buys them.

[Liquid Knight]

XF-SD1



XF-Tourer

[Twoshoe]

I think it's a big improvement too, but I'm intrigued by the comment that 'they're faced with increasingly extrovert styling from key competitors' - er, who? Certainly none of the usual suspects (i.e. Germans) as far as I can see.

[ewenm]

Best looking car in its class IMO. It would certainly be my pick over the BMW/Audi/Merc/Lexus offerings. I'm happy to see Jag doing things right again and judging from the number I see on the roads, selling a fair few of them too.

[British Beef]

Liquid Knight said:

XF-SD1



XF-Tourer

Good job with that Estate make over.
That is the one car really missing from the current Jag line up!
XFR estate - the perfect family wagon!!

[CABBYBROWN]

Yeah! Both this and the XK keep improving and becoming properly nice-looking cars but why do I still think "I'll definitely consider getting one of those when I'm older..."?
(I'm 47 now!)

[Baked_bean]

I love how the people that comment on these news threads are never happy. Everyone hated the xf front lights, They do a good job of changing them and people start accusing it of looking too angry or like an insignia.

Personally i really like it and if i was in the market id have it over a 5 series (and im a BMW fanboy).