Jaguar XF

Road Test

Your Say

Test date 06 February 2008 Price as tested £36,719

For New design language, fabulous interior design, engine refinement and gearbox

AgainstNot as fast as rivals, average head room, some wind noise at speed

Few cars have caused more of a stir during their time with us than the new Jaguar XF. Everywhere we’ve driven and everywhere we’ve stopped in it, anyone with so much as a passing interest in cars has wanted to talk about it.

There’s nothing unusual in that with a rare new car, but usually a passer-by’s opening comment comes as a question. Not so with the XF. It has almost exclusively been a statement: “It looks…”, “I think…”, “It is…” It seems everyone who knows cars has an interest in, and an opinion on, what’s mostly known simply as “the new Jag”.

This interest isn’t without reason. Many cars are described as ‘make or break’, but few cars are as significant to their company’s future prosperity as the XF will be, not just in terms of vehicle sales, but also for providing a viable footing for the sale of the whole company.

If this new model is as good as Jaguar says it is, the company’s tumultuous recent history could soon be a thing of the past. And there's more to link 'the new Jag' to that tumultuous history than appearance suggests.

The XF’s most immediate relative is the S-type, which was first shown at the 1998 Birmingham motor show. During its life the S-type underwent two significant revisions; the first in 2002 tweaked the front suspension and drivetrain, and a second in 2004 refreshed the front and rear styling and the interior, and further upgraded the suspension. It is this latter, significantly improved product that the XF relates to.

The question remains; just how good is the new XF?