Short Test Drive: 2016 Jaguar XF Prestige 2.0liter

I tried out the all new Jaguar XF Prestige 2.0 at the Malaysian launch of the XF here in Subang Jaya. This is one of two models available here in Malaysia. The XF Prestige gets 17-inch Lightweight 15-spoke wheels, perforated leather seats, metal tread plates with Jaguar script and multi-function soft-grain leather steering wheel. The other being the XF R-Sport gets a sport suspension, 18” Helix 10-spoke wheels and R-Sport bodykit, R-Sport branded multi-function soft-grain leather steering wheel and R-Sport branded metal tread plates. However, the test units were all Prestige models with different options including larger wheels and tyres. I drove one with fatter 20inch wheels. The one on the left. In that nice Italian Racing Red.

In terms of overall size, this car is actually 7mm shorter than the previous XF. It however has a longer wheelbase and better packaging inside. There is more rear passenger space in terms of height and width but it is still a little bit cramped in the rear legroom department if you are comparing with its natural rivals from Germany. It does have more space than the previous XF, but I do not think it is class leading in this point though. However, people up front do not have any problems whatsoever. 

As for interior styling, it gets the familiar Jaguar wraparound dashboard to door trim fittings, tidy air vents that still rotate and close (quite gimmickry in my opinion) and a very modern feel to it somewhat like the new XE that sits beneath it. The layout is very Jaguar Land Rover and if you're familiar with its current crop of vehicles, from the Range Rover to the Land Rover Discovery Sport and then to the Jaguar vehicles, the equipment controls are the same. So it has that same gear lever that rises from the center console like any premium JLR vehicle. I do wish that the interior had a bit more of the 'old world' feel to it. I kind of like my Jaguars to be modern on the outside, but a little bit wood, brushed metal and leather in it. This one is very modern. Maybe this is to attract the younger, (Audi) type of crowd with a lot of leather, quality plastic and aluminium giving it a modern, upmarket feel instead of a chesterfield armchair. Personal preference obviously.

A Dark Sapphire Blue XF Prestige at the launch

Exterior wise, the front gets an even more cohesive Jaguar family front end. You see the DNA of the XJ as well as the XE here. There is some XJ profiling in the side flanks especially the rear wheelarch but things get a little bit safe at the rear. The front is aggressive and very distinctive. Very Jaguar sedan. The rear tries to incorporate a little of the F-Type coupe but the rear end design looks a little bit safe and has generic large sports sedan styling. The front has more 'wow factor' in some ways. It is definitely much better than the 'bread and butter' XE (if a RM350k car is considered as bread and butter) but it isn't as brave a car as the current XJ series. I would prefer more of it. Again, I am a little biased as I actually think Jaguar made the XJ into the perfect looking car for me. With the exception of the price and that it is a bit long in terms of size.

Anyway, when you drive the all new XF it feels like an even better XE. Why do I say this? I think car manufacturers these days engineer cars based on category. The XE and the XF share the same platform but one is a compact premium car and the other is a mid sized premium car. So what do you do? Aside from the slightly larger size of the XF the other differences would be the amount of time spent on the areas of focus.What the XF has over the XE is the added refinement in terms of drivetrain and NVH. These are areas which are already class leading in the XE but for something that has to bring more to the table if you're up against the German competitors from Ingolstadt, Stuttgart or Munich of the same class you have to add more. 

And so the XF from what I can tell in the very short drive I was given has exemplary ride and handling as well as good sound dampening. Ride is well sorted on the slightly bumpy stretch of road. Everything feels well damped and sorted. This is different from the harder and firmer ride that most are used to these days. It is supple and glides over the road surface. Velvety smooth. No unnecessary firmness in the XE Prestige. This was even though the test car had the larger 20inch wheel option on it. I imagine if it were the standard 17inch wheel and tyre combination. It would be like riding on a flying carpet in some ways. Smooth as silk. The ride could be best in class without the need for air suspension or for electronically aided damping like most of the Germans have. Much like its baby brother the XE, but it is better. More fine tuning on the front double wishbone and rear integral link suspension here I presume.

Then when you take a corner in one quickly you notice that the initial turn in is good. I love a car which enters into a corner quickly. Direction changes are so easy in this car and the front end tracks well. There is no excessive body roll mid corner and it feels confident upon exit. The 240hp 2.0liter turbocharged engine feels strong and able with only 1590kg worth of unladen car to move. The engine is the same one used in the XJL and the XE sold here. It is derived from the Ford Ecoboost petrol engine and is not the newly developed Ingenium engine, of which the petrol version will only be produced sometime after the middle of this year. Not that I am complaining. The engine is strong, torquey and smooth all the way to the redline.

Now do note that this large sedan is only slightly heavier than the smaller XE - 1535kg. It is actually at least 200kg lighter than the previous XF and it shows. I enjoyed driving this new XF compared to the previous one. The older car actually felt less nimble than the full sized, super long Jaguar XJL. The alumimium chassis is a revelation in terms of making it refined and a helluva fun for me to drive. I do wish it was a longer one instead of just a short spin.

Additional thoughts would be the drivetrain is a lot more resolved than the XE, which has the same 2.0liter 240ps engine and drivetrain - the fabulous eight speed ZF transmission (with sports mode and pedal shifters) driving the rear wheels which have torque vectoring (which seems to work). The throttle response is good and it is smoother when you feed in the power. Again, these days, the engineers often spend more time fine tuning the same hardware in a more premium vehicle. So you are paying for the man hours also these days. This is why a C segment car may not be as refined as a D segment one. Or that you may buy the more expensive car with the same engine but with a different state of tune. Whatever the case, the XF has a darn smooth drivetrain. One that backs up the sweetness in the chassis. 

The only other issue with the XF would be the price. You have to note that the XF is fully imported into Malaysia and therefore it does not receive any tax break incentives like say something from Mercedes Benz. Still a niche player for now but it does give you options if you're in the market for a sports sedan. If you have the spare cash, do not forget to try out this one before you make a final decision. 

CONCLUSION: A bigger and much better Jaguar XE. High equipment levels with good tactile feel throughout the cabin. Good looks on the outside but still a little safe compared to the XJ. Best in class Ride and Handling shows the others how things should be done without any sacrifice of one over the other. Good performance from the 2.0liter engine and a very smooth transmission. Rear space still a bit tight though. 

And I do wish I had more time with the car to see how it performs over a length of time. It is splendid even though I only managed a nibble in it.

JAGUAR XF Prestige 

2.0liter i4 240PS Turbocharged Petrol

Price: from RM450,000.00

Engine: 2.0liter 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol 240ps / 340Nm

Transmission: 8 speed automatic transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift

Weight: 1590kg

Max speed: 248kmh

0-100kmh: 7 seconds

17inch wheels - tested with 20 inch options (and still comfortable)

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