2017 Jaguar XF Review

Cars from Jaguar have always been aspirational. The Jaguar XF is also one that most of us want to own. Jaguar has launched the all new XF and this is a much more improved car. It is bigger, more luxurious and also lighter. A new aluminum class underpins this car and it also gets better electronics. All this seems to be quite exciting. So let’s have a look at what all new 2017 Jaguar XF has to offer.

Design

The 2017 Jaguar XF is now much longer in fact it is longer than its competitors the increased length gives it a much better poise. Though it does not look drastically different from the earlier car,  it certainly is very handsome looking. Here is a very good combination of elegance and sportiness. The head lamps have J shaped LED which look quite stunning the grill is the signature Jaguar one. This one is in chrome and also has a Jaguar logo in the centre.

I find the side profile most appealing the car looks extremely sporty from this angle the low front and the higher rear is what differentiates this car from the crowd. The Jaguar XF 2017 is now longer then its predecessor. The sloping roof gives it a fastback kind of look. The rear looks very smart as well and the tail lamps seem to be inspired from the F type. It has a twin exhaust lower down.The 18-inch Alloy wheels have an elegant design. Though Jaguar says that the new XF has been built as an all new design, one can clearly make out typical Jaguar styling cues, which no distinct form its other models. However, similar or not, we like the way the XF looks!

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Interiors

This is where you can spot most differences in the Jaguar XF 2017.The interiors welcome you with the black and tan colour theme. The dashboard is laid out clean, but seems quite traditional. It appears like layers and is pleasing though. There is a 12.3-inch TFT screen present for the instrument panel and you also get a heads up display for speed and navigation. Also there’s a new 10.2-inch touchscreen that does duty here and it functions well. You get park assist and also a nice 360 degree camera view, which is extremely helpful. When you press the start button it gives out a pulse, making you feel the car even more. The AC vents which are hidden, roll open once you fire up the engine.

The gear selector knob rises up in typical JLR fashion.

The interiors of the 2017 Jaguar XF have a good feel, but somehow they don’t feel as plush as they should, specially in this segment. There are some bits that feel average, for example some switchgears. The seats are very comfortable and offer an electric adjustment for both driver and passenger. The cushioning is good as well. The rear seats are now more comfortable than before and the XF also offers more leg room. However, though the car is now longer, it doesn’t offer as much legroom as some of its competitors do and that’s a downside. You will be most happy in this car on the driver seat. The boot space is 540 litres and comparable to its competition. Another impressive thing is the 825 watts Meridian sound system that is just fantastic. There is also an array of choices for the ambient lighting available to suit your mood.

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Engine

The 2017 Jaguar XF gets a 2.0 litre, four cylinder petrol engine. This engine turns out 240bhp at 5500rpm and an amazing 340Nm of torque at 1750-2000rpm. It is an extremely punchy engine and brings up smile the moment you put petal to metal. It’s got very strong performance and even at higher revs, the power doesn’t dip as much. The car is pure fun to drive in any conditions and the well spread out torque makes overtaking extremely simple.

The engine note at high revs is enchanting with its mild roar. This engine comes made it to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Shift to the S mode and the car delivers its peak performance by delaying the upshifts to 6500rpm. 0-100 km/h comes up in under eight seconds, the lighter aluminium chassis showing its prowess here.

The Jaguar XF also comes with a new 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine that has 180bhp and 430NM of torque . We are yet to drive it and will bring you the details of this engine soon.

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Ride and Handling

This is an area where the Jag shines. There are 4 different driving modes, however, we enjoyed driving the car most in the dynamic mode. The steering feedback is very precise. Though, this is an electric unit, Jaguar has made sure it doesn’t lose out much on a hydraulic feel. Hard cornering is excellent in the 2017 Jaguar XF. We recommend the Jaguar XF only if you self-drive most of the times. The 18-inch wheels play the part in improving the handling to a great extent. The ride quality also is improved from the earlier versions however, it still remains on the stiffer side, which means it’s not the most comfortable on bad roads and potholes. It feels best at higher speeds, on smoother roads.

Another drawback is that there is quite a lot of road noise that penetrates the cabin. This is certainly not acceptable for car in this category.

Verdict

The 2017 Jaguar XF is a much improved car and there is no doubt about that. If you are a Jaguar fan, you will love many a things in this car. The British feel still embodies the interiors and things like the steering feedback, exhaust note and excellent handling is something that will always bring up a smile. It is only that when you compare it to its main German rivals, that you start to think about its value. With the new E-class around and the new 5-series about to be launched, the fight is even tougher for the Jag.

Nevertheless, if you want a mid-size luxury sedan, that you aim to drive yourself and ‘driving pleasure’ is at the top of your mind, then the 2017 Jaguar XF will do you full justice.