Jaguar XF 2015 Expert Review

Jag The Ripper

Jack the Ripper was a brutal serial killer in the relatively small community in London. The name had originated in a letter, which was written by someone who was claimed to be the murderer.  Today, we have another British ripper— Jaguar, which is eating into the German luxury car territory in India— whilst the German auto makers are battle out amongst each other.

The rich character of the XF is clearly evident and it does feel to be more expensive than its current price tag. The XF was always a stunning piece of art work, and the recent facelift makes it look even sharper. Revamped version gets the new family fascia, making it look similar to its elder brother— the XJ.

The headlamps have now got sleeker and aggressive with the addition of day-time running LEDs, which further garnishes the facade. This makes the snout look-not-just sharper but also melds well with the revised design of the front-chrome grille. Though the XF is the smallest in length when compared to the rest of its competition.

XF continues to impress not just on the outside, but even once you step into the car. Interior quality is still first-rate and the ambience feels classical British styling. The Jaguar XF can accommodate four large adults at ease while the fifth can fit with a bit of squeeze. Sloping roof means a bit tight headroom for the six-foot rear passengers. Get behind the wheel and you can easily get comfortable with the electric seat and steering adjustment. Even the seat bolstering has been changed to increase the comfort level. Then you can adjust the front co-driver’s seat from the back itself.

The XF comes with 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre and 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines. The 2.0-litre petrol is turbocharged and it produces about 240bhp of power. This engine has decent power and is the most affordable Jaguar in the country.

The NVH levels are low and even there is sufficient torque to pull cleanly in city or even on the highways.

The gear knob rises above, once you crank the engine.

The motor drives the rear wheels through the self-shifting eight-speed ZF transmission. The upshifts on this box are quick, and even better in Sport mode. It is the downshifts where there is a bit of latency. If you wish to go racing on a track or want to enjoy driving around the hills, you have paddle shifters to play with.

No mechanical upgrades on the new model year version means the same underpinnings are retained on the XF. The ride suppleness on the XF S is excellent as most of the jolts and bounces are absorbed by the suspension, without affecting the passengers.

The well-balanced chassis of the XF makes the handling fairly agile. The handling in the comfort mode is good, but once you budge to Dynamic mode, the XF S flexes its muscles. Flick it around a corner and will be stick to its line. Further the light steering makes driving in city a breeze, but at higher speeds it does feel a tad artificial. Albeit once you get a hang of it, it is easier to drive quicker around tight bends.

The XF is a good buy, considering looks great and still has the styling edge over the competition. However it is on the inside that it needs an upgrade, and with the new-generation XF coming next year Jaguar isn’t wasting any time to get the best to the buyers. For INR 57 lakhs approximately (on-road, Delhi) price, we will recommend you to pick the 2.2-litre diesel as that is a better more complete package.