Jag Daniel's

There is no doubt that Jaguar had the Mercedes-Benz E350CDI and BMW 530d in its sight when it introduced the 271bhp Diesel S model to its XF range in India. Before this, the XF was available only with a powerful yet thirsty petrol V8 engine. With the XF S, buyers will now have the option of buying into the British marque’s legacy while at the same time enjoying the benefits of diesel economy.

The Jaguar XF was codenamed as X250 and designed in the company’s hometown Coventry. In the looks department, the Jaguar XF is one of the best looking in its class. It’s tapering roofline, heavily sculpted fenders make it look aggressive. The sub-structure of the S-Type has been stretched and used for the XF. Jaguar claims that stretching has helped to increase the crumble zone, which means better safety. The Jaguar XF scored a maximum of four star rating in the EuroNCAP crash test. It excelled in occupant protection and safety assist. Check out the EuroNCAP crash test video.

Get on the inside of the XF and get ravished by the sophisticated interiors. The light of the start button blinks just like your heart beat. On cranking the engine, the gear knob rises and the A/C vents flip open. The twin dial instrument binnacle has a small screen between the gauges that shows the engaged gear, range of the fuel tank and various other warnings like door open etc. The centre console is neat and doesn’t feel cluttered. The centre touch screen is easy to operate for first timers and can be used to control audio, telephone connectivity, some vehicle parameters and to view the reverse camera.

The vents flip open and the gear selector rising up look cool on the XF.

The Jaguar XF can accommodate four large adults at ease while the fifth can fit with a bit of squeeze. Slip behind the wheel and you can easily get comfortable with the electric seat and steering adjustment. Climb into the rear seats and you will find the headroom to be tight if you are a six-footer. On the inside changes aren’t earth shattering in the diesel; the XF S gets a Jaguar music system in place of the Bang & Olufsen system that comes in the petrol variant. The rest of the kit is identical to what one would get in the petrol variant.

Jaguar has plonked in a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel engine in the XF which churns out 271bhp of peak power and 600Nm of maximum torque. This is the same engine used on the Land Rover Discovery 4 and Range Rover Sport. There is no turbo lag as this oil burner gets two uniquely-sized turbochargers which work at different engine speeds. Plant your right foot and the car just propels ahead. The engine is highly refined and fairly quiet except for a brief few moments at startup. Like the other Jaguar models, the NVH levels are low and hardly any sound intrudes to break the feeling of calm in the passenger cabin.

The biggest change comes under the hood where Jaguar has plonked in a 3.0-litre diesel V6 with twin-turbos

Jag Daniel's (contd..)

The Jaguar XF powers its wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The shifts on this box are smooth and work brilliantly and the downshifts are quick and don’t feel lethargic. You even get to play boy-racer with the paddleshifts, just like its petrol-engined sibling.

The rising gear is now a standard feature on all the new Jaguars

The Jaguar XF S returned us an overall fuel economy of 9.02kpl which is great for a diesel, and we got a best figure of 10.84kpl. In our performance run, we got the worst figure of 7.8kpl. This makes the diesel engine is much easier on your pocket.

Jaguar has retained the same underpinnings on the XF S and the front and the rear both get double wishbones with anti roll bar, with of course coil springs at the rear. The ride on the Jaguar is fairy composed and smooth at low and high speeds. It soaks up most of the bumps without filtering it into the cabin. The XF gets a light steering wheel, which makes maneuvering in city and parking convenient. But the downside of this light steering is that it doesn’t weigh up at higher speeds, and the feedback from the steering feels very artificial. This makes the driver lose some confidence on corners as you up the momentum. You can slam it into a corner and the well-balanced chassis takes it all, and shows signs of being able of handling more power.

The Jaguar XF Diesel is a well priced saloon as it is a CBU and costs approximately Rs 48.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is a strong performer, with great styling and plush interiors which make you feel exclusive. Apart from this, it has the great British build quality and marque. If you do procure one, you'll be buying not just a respected badge, but also an essence that very few vehicles and brands in the world can boast of.