After running a Jaguar XF for three months I’m even more convinced that it’s the best exec saloon on the market.
But I’m not going to pretend that the 2.7-litre diesel is the best thing about it. Yes it’s peachy smooth and a great match for the six-speed auto ‘box. But a BMW 530d has a far superior motor, let alone the 535d. So the XF’s new 272bhp 3.0-litre diesel is another sign that Jaguar seems capable of keeping up with the Germans.
Then again there’s still a glaring omission in the line-up. Where’s the punchy four-cylinder TD? By far the best selling Bee-Ems, Audis and Mercs are not the fire-breathing versions, they’re the cooking diesels. Jag bosses will tell you that they’re not after big numbers, just profitability. But the way things are going, a smaller-engined XF is going to be required to even get it to figure on potential buyers’ wish lists.
A 200bhp diesel with a Sport badge and the looks of the forthcoming XFR sounds very ‘new Jaguar’ to me.
