Jaguar XF: first drive of hot new cat

Jaguar has for too long been a company that has put its money on black only to see its numbers come up red.

Bought by Ford in 1989 to become the blue oval's money-shot in the lucrative luxury-car market, Jaguar's staid image and conservatively styled cars have only contributed to successive years of financial losses and declining sales.

The gambling utopia of Monte Carlo is a fitting launch venue, then, for Jaguar's new XF sedan, a car that even the British car maker admits is effectively its last throw of the dice.

Jaguar says the XF must be a success, regardless of the fact that the brand (along with sister company Land Rover) will soon be under the new ownership of Indian giant Tata.

The plan is for the XF - successor to the S-Type - to replace the slow-selling X-Type as Jaguar's volume-selling model. As Drive.com.au reported exclusively in 2007, the X-Type's future is under threat as Jaguar plots a new sales strategy based more on low-volume Porsche than high-volume BMW.

The XF's opening gambit is promising, with styling that shakes off 40 years of variably sized clones of the original, 1968 XJ6. Jaguar's design team, headed by the highly regarded Ian Callum, has deliberately eschewed a traditional three-box sedan for a coupe-like profile.

Design cues from '60s Jaguars such as the aforementioned XJ6 and MkII - such as the grille and side-window treatment - remain entrenched in the design but there is no doubting this is a sedan for the 21st century.

Inside, the XF's cabin delivers more proof that Jaguar has jumped out of its tweed-jacketed time warp. Out goes the faux-marble Gentlemen's Club look of current Jaguar sedans and in comes a contemporary cabin that will make people think twice before declaring Audi the doyenne of car interior design.

Real wood still has its place, but the dash is dominated by an aluminium fascia, stitched leather, and controls inspired by the Motorola RAZR mobile phone. At night, the controls have a turquoise illumination.

Function isn't ignored for the sake of form, either. Common controls, including air-conditioning and audio volume, get their own buttons, with everything else accessed via the standard colour touch-screen.

The XF has proximity technology that activates the front interior lights and glovebox with a wave of a hand or a finger-light touch, though there's an even greater sense of theatre when starting the XF.

Press the pulsating red engine-start button and the four air vents rotate open and a rotary dial rises from the console. The dial is a new transmission control called the JaguarDrive Selector, replacing the antiquated and slightly clumsy J-gate gearlever that has served Jaguar sedans for two decades.

Call it a gimmick, but it's simple to use and boasts shift-by-wire technology that dispenses with mechanical linkages.

The ZF six-speed auto employed in current Jaguars is claimed to shift gears 10 per cent quicker than before and mates with a choice of four launch engines, all of which will be available when the XF reaches Australian showrooms in June.

For $A105,500 there's a choice of 175kW 3.0-litre V6 petrol or 152kW 2.7-litre V6 turbo diesel. The 219kW naturally aspirated V8 costs $A133,500 and entry to the range-topping, 306kW 4.2-litre supercharged V8 is $A166,700.

The pricing places the rear-wheel-drive XF among its obvious rivals, the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6 and Lexus GS.

All engines except the supercharged V8 (borrowed from the XKR coupe) are carried over from the S-Type the XF replaces.

The 2.7-litre diesel, however, will be making its debut for Jaguar in Australia. It's a smooth, respectably punchy and economical engine (7.5L/100km for a car weighing 1770kg), if lacking the acceleration and noise refinement of rivals such as the BMW 530d.

Engine response improves - as it does in the SV8 - by turning the transmission dial to Sport, and gearshifts are smooth and mostly well chosen. The paddleshift system - an upgraded, quicker version of the XK's - is standard on all XFs but is more effective on the petrol models because of the diesel's limited rev range.

The supercharged V8 - which Drive spent most time in - endows the XF with the purposeful growl and effortless pace befitting a sports luxury sedan. The XF SV8, in fact, is only a tenth slower from 0-100km/h (5.4sec) than the company's identically powered XKR sports coupe.

The XF is similarly balanced on the road, too - despite its five-metre length - thanks to a wide stance, claimed best-in-class body rigidity, and aluminium suspension components borrowed from the XK.

The XF's ride leans more towards sports than luxury, yet although it's firm at low speeds the sedan is sufficiently supple on straight roads and tightly controlled in corners. 

A good driving position is complemented by steering that is accurate and perfectly weighted. Rack rattle, however, becomes noticeable in tighter corners, and forward visibility can be hindered by the XF's A-pillars.

The XF blips the throttle on downshifts even in D, but turn the transmission dial to Sport and gears are held longer and the supercharged V8's engine response becomes more urgent.

On the twisting mountainous roads north of Monaco, the XF SV8 gripped confidently, turned in keenly, and its progressive brakes refused to fade even during a dramatic, plummeting series of 1st- and 2nd-gear hairpins.

The pampering equation of Jaguar's new sports luxury sedan is almost as convincing, although the sloping rear roof inevitably reduces rear-seat headroom for tall passengers. Legroom also lacks generosity for those scaling six feet and higher, and some more under-thigh support would also be welcome for passengers of all sizes.

A 500-litre boot is class competitive and will match the biggest-in-segment 540 litres if the XF is equipped with Jaguar's tyre-repair system instead of the standard space-saver spare.

The boot shape slightly compromises the ability to get two large suitcases in side by side, but the split-fold rear seats will flip down to create another 420 litres of space.

In addition to the touch-screen that includes satellite navigation, the well equipped XF includes as standard Bluetooth, iPod, USB and MP3 connectivity and three excellent Bowers & Wilkins audio systems depending on spec.

Safety features include six airbags, rear parking sensors (front sensors and rear-view camera are optional), and a raft of electronic driver aids. The bonnet will also pop up to soften a blow if a collision with a pedestrian is detected.

Amid the glamorous rich man's playground of Monaco, the million-dollar question is whether the XF is good enough to revive Jaguar's flagging fortunes.

You bet.