Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 83%

To replace the often maligned S-Type, Jaguar got Ian Callum, the man behind the Aston Martin DBS, to design a replacement – the Jaguar XF.

While the S-Type revelled in its retro charm, the XF is a state-of-the-art 21st century masterpiece.

With Jaguar recently bought by Indian magnate Ratan Tata, we got behind the wheel of the new XF to see if the Tetley Tea owner had made a wise acquisition.

View our slide show of the Jaguar XF

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor 

1. Looks

The Jaguar XF raised incredible expectations as the car which – along with the Jaguar XK sports car - would blueprint the manufacturer’s style direction and help attract younger buyers to the historic British icon. And it has met those expectations in spades. Where previously the mix of fresh design and retro has been tilted heavily in the favour of the latter the Jaguar XF is thoroughly modern – and unmistakeably a jag. Jaguar designer Ian Callum aimed to combine the look of a coupe with the greater practicality of a saloon – and the car’s looks certainly meet the coupe end of the bargain. The large intake grille demands attention at the front of the car with lines flowing elegantly past the windscreen (which rakes back to the roof at the same angle as the XK) to the rear. The car is wider and longer than rivals the Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS300. It comes as no surprise that Jaguar has revealed that in terms of drag, the Jaguar XF is the company’s most dynamic production car ever.

9/10

2. Looks inside

Amazing. The Jaguar XF interior so impressed the team that we created a blog post simply to heap praise on it. Step in and your attention is immediately drawn to the Start/Stop button with its pulsing red light (described by Jaguar as a heartbeat). Press Start and previously hidden air vents rotate into view and the raised, circular Jaguar Drive Selector which is used to choose the automatic gear setting rises into place – executing Jaguar’s “invisible until needed” philosophy. Jaguar says it wanted to keep the interior uncluttered and provide “features that empower rather than overpower the driver” which has led to touch-screen controls for some features and others which operate when fingers are close – including the glove box and interior lights. Blue mood lighting, which illuminates the dials, the shift paddles and other parts of the cabin add a soothing touch to the car’s interior. The car also features more wood than any Jag since the 1960s Mk II saloon. All these features combine to create a stunning environment for driver and passengers. Our test drive began with a traffic jam which saw us crawl 12 miles in one-and-a-half hours – and even though we’d have preferred better conditions, we loved every minute.

10/10

3. Practicality

The Jaguar boasts a class-best equalling 540-litres boot space for those who opt for Jaguar Tyre Repair System - with space decreasing to 500-litres if you prefer to carry a spare tyre. Variable ratio power-assisted steering is standard – in real-life this translates to reduced effort when it comes to parking and greater precision and feedback at higher speeds.

7/10

4. Ride and Handling

The XF handles like an executive car should – offering a smooth comfortable drive with minimal bodyroll through the corners. On a long motorway drive the comfy leather seats ensured no back pain with the suspension soaking up any bumps on offer. We also got the opportunity to give the Jag a B-road thrashing and were impressed with the grip available. The stiff body and wide track gave the XF a planted feel. If you opt for the fiendishly fast SV8 super-saloon you get a harder suspension for optimised handling.

8/10

View our slide show of the Jaguar XF

5. Performance

Three petrol engines are offered. The 240bhp 3-litre V6 covers 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 148mph. The 300bhp 4.2-litre V8 covers 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds while a supercharged 420bhp 4.2-litre model cuts this down to 5.4 seconds. Both 4.2-litre models are electronically limited to a
top speed of 155mph. We drove the model Jaguar expect to be the biggest seller – the 2.7-litre V6 twin-turbocharged diesel which can accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds. Jaguar Sequential Shift System employs shift-by-wire transmission previously used in the Jaguar XK sports car which improves the smoothness and increases the change of gear changes. The automatic gear box is operated through the Jaguar Drive Selector, a raised circular dial which drivers rotate to change between Park, Drive, Reverse, Neutral and Sport – manual gearchanges can be made through a paddle shift system.

8/10

6. Running Costs

The diesel model we drove means fewest trips to the petrol station returning an average of 37.6mpg. The 3-litre petrol model returns 26.8mpg with the two 4.2-litre models returning 25.3 and 22.4mpg. The diesel model produces 199 g/km CO2 which places it in car tax band F attracting an annual bill of £210. The Three petrol models all fall into car tax band G attracting an annual bill of £400. With CO2 emissions of 249g/km, 264 g/km and 299 g/km produced by the 3-litre, 4.2-litre and supercharged 4.2-litre respectively. If you’re young, you’re likely to be punished by insurance companies with the XF situated between groups 17 and 20.

7/10

7. Reliability

Jaguar hasn’t had the best reputation for reliability over the years and is ranked worse than average on the reliability index for the cost and frequency of repairs. There were a few issues with the previous S-Type which shares the same platform and diesel engine as the XF but many of the problems have been ironed out. The XF felt well built, but only the test of time will show how well the interior gadgetry has been put together.

8/10

8. Safety

The XF comes with a blind spot monitor, electronic brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, anti-lock brakes, dynamic stability control, cornering brake control, engine drag torque control which maintains stability under braking and understeer control logic which decelerates the car and helps to restore grip to the front wheels when required. It’s yet to be tested in the EuroNCAP crash test programme.

8/10

View our slide show of the Jaguar XF

9. Equipment

Three levels of trim are offered with the Jaguar XF: luxury, premium luxury and SV8. Standard equipment includes sat-nav, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, rain sensing windscreen wipers, eight-speaker CD/radio (options include DAB digital radio and iPod and MP3 player connectivity with devices navigated by touch screen controls) and the keyless start.

Go for the Premium Luxury trim and you get heated front seats and a space-saving spare wheel.

8/10

10. X-Factor

It’s an executive Jag which is more likely to feature in a golf club car park than on the bank robbing circuit. But it’s been designed by the man behind the Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin Vanquish and Jaguar XK. And when you see interior and the way the air-con vents open at the flick of a button you’ll immediately fall for it. A stunning-looking car with an even better interior.

10/10