2009 Jaguar XF V6 Diesel Review

Actually, there are a few things. But why don't we start at the beginning? Remember the retro-styled Jaguar S type sedan? Not a bad car, but there were aspects that never were quite right. It seemed … old. But the new XF is the first Jaguar in a very long time that doesn't look like your dad's car. It's modern—hip even.

Under the hood is the carry-over twin-turbo 60-degree V6 diesel from the S-Type. It's actually a Peugeot/Citroen design—now four years old and built in Dagenham, Essex at a plant belonging to Jaguar's former owner, Ford. The compacted graphite iron block, aluminium-alloy head engine has twin camshafts per bank, four valves per cylinder and weighs just 445 pounds.
In other words it's modern, clever and lightweight.

It's also powerful, delivering 204 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque though a six speed automatic and on to the rear wheels. And that's enough to sprint to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and manage a top speed of 143 mph. But this big cat also delivers a friendly European Combined cycle economy of 31.3 mpg, hough we could only average 29.4 mpg in our tenure of mixed driving, including a couple of 100-mi. journeys.

If the S-type had a glaring fault it was that cheap interior. It looked a bit as if it had been won at the Minnesota State Fair. The XF has changed all that. And now Jaguar's mid-size sedan surpasses nearly all the opposition including BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Made with the traditional materials of wood, leather and aluminium, the XF's design brings the whole equation up to date with wit and charm. The rotary gear selector that rises out of the center console, the air vents that blink open like an Owl's sleepy glare when the car is started—they all work well and never once feel contrived. Even the RAF roundel sticker on the dash, which hides a proximity switch that opens the glove box is clever and original. Not everyone likes the front seats, but we found them supportive and accommodating. The rears are suitable to anyone up to six feet in height and the trunk is generous, even though access is a little restricted and the floor isn't completely level.

Jaguar XF can smooth out a backwoods road without floating or pitching, and still match a BMW 5-Series when it comes to all-guns-blazing, flat-top cornering. The steering system gives the driver huge confidence when the fires are lit and the hammer is down—it's so accurate and makes this machine very easy to place. Likewise the brakes are linear and powerful with an easilly judged pedal effort. Around town, the 3,904-pound XF will cruise like a stretch, button-back chesterfield, its occupants perhaps slightly more aware of the road surface that in an old S-Type, but also more comfortable in the way the car handles the bumps and pot holes.

© Source: popularmechanics
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