‘JAGUARS should be perceived as cool cars, and cool cars should attract interesting and edgy people.’
In the nine plus years that I’ve been writing about cars, I’ve driven a whole lot of mass-market cars (almost every Japanese, Korean, American and the like), a good number of premium-luxury cars (mostly German), a slew of performance-oriented cars (mostly German, followed by some Japanese and Italians) and just plain cool cars (MINI does come to mind). But I can only ever remember reviewing three British cars (aside from MINI, which nowadays seems more German than English, but all the better for them). I’ve reviewed one Range Rover, briefly tested a modern XJ when it was new and now, finally, a full-on proper road test of the facelifted XF. And boy was it worth the wait!
While Germans seek absolute performance, and Japanese seek absolute efficiency, the English seem to prefer to balance things out by putting equal importance to coolness, smoothness, performance and efficiency. Confused tactic or is it something we should all be looking into? Jaguar’s latest XF moves the argument forward.
Just look at the shape: It’s part coupe, part fastback, part saloon, but completely head-turning in a somber way only the British can do right. Swoopy lines mask superfluous details such as various creases on the bodywork to break the monotony of slab-sided doors and fenders, while the vents on the front fenders to evacuate hot air from the engine bay and front axle seem out of place in a cozy saloon, yet look cool, because Jaguar designer Ian Callum knows a thing or two about crossing the line between beauty and efficiency. Callum said in an interview that “Jaguars should be perceived as cool cars, and cool cars should attract interesting and edgy people.”
A truly cool car
Indeed, the XF has succeeded in being a truly cool car. Cool not because the performance is amazing (but it is impressive, indeed), nor of whatever other reason people think it to be. It simply is plain and simple. And thus it has attracted me to it (this is not to say that I am interesting and edgy—my wife finds it a waste when I open my mouth and the only things I talk about are cars, she said).
But being a journalist, I look for substance, for depth of character, for breadth of ability. And in these, indeed, the XF has in spades.
JAGUAR’S philosophy in balancing things out by putting equal importance to coolness, smoothness, performance and efficiency is evident in the XF.
Launched in 2008, the XF received updates in 2011, changes which we unfortunately have only received now in our local market. The changes include smoother looking front headlights, revised front and rear bumpers that connect the XF closer to its original show car/concept car C-XF of the mid 2000s, and a raft of interior tweaks such as more burled aluminum, more piano wood, some carbon fiber accents and polished aluminum inlays, plus a switch to pale-blue ambient lighting. Step inside one, and though the back seats are a bit tight, it’s still a pretty cool (figuratively and literally, thanks to the cool multizone A/C system) place to be in.
Bests other diesels
The new for face-lift models 2.2-liter CRDi diesel engine delivers an amazing 190 ps and 450 Newton-meters of torque—the latter a highly impressive figure besting BMW’s, Audi’s and Merc’s diesels—which in traffic, is what you truly need, especially if you’re in cut-and-thrust traffic mode. Attached to the powertrain is an all-new 8-speed automatic transmission that helps mask the modest power output, making you think that the Jag has at least 50 or more horses tucked underneath its stylish bonnet. Engine STOP/START function is now available for better in-city fuel savings.
On the safety front, you get ABS-EBD brakes with brake assist, traction/stability control and eight airbags as standard on all models so the Jag isn’t only a sweet talker which will get you into trouble, but it will save your arse too in the event of a prang.
Coolness factor of 11
SMOOTHER looking front headlights
Inside, the XF distinguishes itself further by providing a truly unique interior: The A/C vents are flush to the dash panels, rotating to open themselves up when you start the engine. The gear selector is a cylindrical piece of burled aluminum called the JaguarDrive Selector, which also pops up the moment you start the engine. Might be worrisome, considering the sheer number of moving parts in the long-term, but for the here and now, it maxes out the coolness factor to 11. You also get the amazing Meridian Audio System, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to want to wireless stream music from my smart phone, needing a wired connection after all. Perhaps Jaguar should look to this and find a remedy soon.
The crucial question though, is: How does the Jag drive? Thankfully, it drives beautifully. Designer Callum helped bring out the Jaguar from the Geoff Lawson-designed era of retroism, to the modern, edgy and truly cool cars of today. Thankfully, the driving experience has moved forward. There’s none of the heavy damping, firm steering of German cars, nor the overly-light and -assisted feel of Japanese cars. The Jag flows beautifully—neither heavy nor nervous, but just right. The suspension isn’t the sportiest, nor the softest; but it is arguably the smoothest that I’ve tried in this segment. Sure, I prefer a bit more damping firmness to sacrifice comfort for more high-speed stability (queue the Germans here), a bit of heft in the steering too, to make sawing antics behind the wheel a steadier rhythm. But I just love how the Jaguar flows organically; each movement is like a gentle classical dance, slowly but surely getting faster and faster.
Smooth like Bond
2.2-LITER CRDi diesel engine
On the bumpy Metro Manila roads, the Jaguar glides through casually, unperturbed—much like how James Bond would look like after crossing a battle zone, hair still slicked back, no sweat on his shirt nor stain on his pants. On a twisty piece of road, the XF ebbs and flows calmly, yet never forgets the tension you want to maintain for an exciting and energizing driving experience. The brakes are on the soft side but deliver good modulation and feel, while the double wishbone front and rear suspension not only smoothens the ride (thanks also in part to the smallish 17-inch wheels with 235/55R17 tires) but there’s a tenacity in grip that reminds you of an angry cat holding onto its meal with claws and fangs bared.
But it’s not a mono-sided all grip-grip-grip sensation that suddenly throws you out. You can really feel the progression form grip, to slip, to spin in the Jaguar, something which a lot of German and Japanese cars sorely lack nowadays. In effect, the mild suspension tune greatly hides the XF’s admittedly 1738-kg curb weight, rather heavy in its class. Fuel consumption is a modest 7.8 km/liter but with a very new, very tight engine, there’s still loads more space for improvement as the miles pile up and the engine breathes easier.
There’s so much more to talk about, so much more to say, but one adjective remains resolute when describing the XF. Cool. Utterly cool, the way only the Brits know how to do it.