Introduction

This is the Jaguar XF in its second generation and it’s a case of ‘do not adjust your set’, as this car looks very similar to the smaller XE within its own stable. The XF is an attractive, well-equipped executive saloon that drives beautifully and which has plenty of luxury appointments, and it currently has a cheaper starting price than its key rivals. The XF is sold only as a four-door saloon, with most models featuring rear-wheel drive; four-wheel drive is offered as an option. A six-speed manual represents the first time the XF has come with a clutch pedal, although the vast majority of the Jaguar range runs the eight-speed automatic. Four trim lines and a choice of forced induction petrol and diesel engines ensure that there’s plenty of variety within the XF family.

Did you know? The fastest-ever Jaguar was, for many years, the XJ220 – until a modified Mk1 XFR hit almost 226mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2008.

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Verdict: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9.1/10)

The Jaguar XF Mk2 is a prime example of how quickly the automotive industry moves these days. Here we have an undeniably beautiful midsized premium executive saloon that has a corking chassis, excellent levels of refinement, a range of powerful and efficient engines, and plenty of the latest technology stuffed into its elegant bodywork. So, when it launched in 2015, it duly took class honours as the best machine in its segment… only to watch as, first, Mercedes-Benz brought out the incredible fifth-generation E-Class in 2016, and then BMW moved the game on again with the seventh-generation 5 Series of 2017. So the Jaguar XF is currently sitting in third place in its marketplace, but that doesn’t alter the fact it’s a car that has many, many strengths and very few weaknesses.

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Design & Exterior: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

If there’s a criticism of the Jaguar XF, it’s the sort of mutterings of ‘Russian Doll Syndrome’ that currently can be seen in the Audi, Mercedes, and BMW ranges. In essence, what this means is that each of these companies’ saloon cars look very similar, and they’re just down- or up scaled according to which marketplace they contend in.

You’ll therefore have trouble spotting an XF over a Jaguar XE from a distance. Up close, it’s a bit easier to see the different rear light signatures of the XF, or its longer hind-quarters in comparison to the XE – and the good news is we’re not complaining about the Jaguar’s aesthetic. It’s a saloon that looks effortlessly beautiful in all guises. The only real problem we have is the way the wheels that are most conducive to good economy and emissions figures look hopelessly lost in the Jaguar’s arches.

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Interior & Comfort: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

In a fashion that has been the XF’s trademark ever since the original appeared in 2007, the rotary gear selector on automatic models rises out of the dashboard upon ignition, while the engine start button pulses red, like a heartbeat, before you’ve even fired the car up. The outer two air vents also rotate into position as the Jag goes through its warm-up procedures, although the centre two vents are fixed in place.

Even models with the smaller infotainment screen and analogue dials in the cluster look good, there’s a neat arrangement of two banked rows of switched on the centre console, and the 'Riva Hoop' that runs from the door cards around the base of the windscreen to envelop the front-seat passengers is a design feature to marvel at. Standard appointments range-wide include leather seats and an attractive, perfectly-sized steering wheel.

Practicality

Jaguar splits the range into ‘Luxury’ and ‘Sport’ arms, and the entry specifications in both have eight-way manually adjustable chairs in the front, plus reach and rake steering columns, to ensure an excellent driving position is attainable for all XF owners. The plusher cars have 10-way fully electric seats as a tempter. Space in the rear is generous and the boot is huge, with 540 litres on offer, although 40:20:40 folding rear seats are only standard fit on the top two grades – lower-spec cars do without. Storage is pretty good throughout the cabin, with some useful cubbies and a big glovebox, while all cars get a rear armrest with two cupholders in the back, to go with the pair up front.

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Technology & Connectivity: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

All Jaguar XFs get infotainment on an eight-inch touchscreen in the dash, which incorporates navigation, the 80-watt, eight-speaker Jaguar Sound System, DAB radio, Bluetooth, and USB connections/MP3 compatibility. There’s also a five-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster and a suite of InControl apps included, as well as Wi-Fi hotspot preparation.

However, the Portfolio and S cars have a Meridian 380-watt, 11-speaker stereo as standard – and, for all cars, there’s the option of Touch Pro infotainment. This brings in a 10.2-inch screen, replacing the physical switches down the sides of the eight-inch monitor with ‘soft’ buttons on the display. It also adds more advanced satnav mapping graphics and 10GB of usable memory. You have to add Touch Pro if you want to exult in the ultimate sound system, the spectacular 825-watt Meridian Surround Sound set-up, with 17 speakers and a 16-channel amp; it’s incredibly powerful and distortion-free at high volume. Finally, a lovely, fully digital, 12.3-inch instrument cluster is the crowning glory of the Touch Pro package.

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Performance & Handling: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)

It might not quite match the exalted handling of the BMW 5 Series, yet there’s nothing major to fault about the Jag’s dynamic abilities. It has wonderful steering, composed body control, plenty of grip, strong brakes, and superb damping. The rear-drive cars also clearly telegraph to their driver where the power is going, making this far sweeter to drive than any rival bar that pesky BMW.

Crucially, though, it’s still a Jaguar and the ride quality is largely excellent. Adding bigger alloys to passively sprung XFs can make the ride feel a little firmer than is strictly necessary for a Jag, but there’s a way around this – either fit the optional Adaptive Dynamics adjustable damping, or go for one of the S models, which get this feature as standard. The petrol S, in particular, is a good example of how to marry supreme motorway manners – supple comportment, mammoth midrange torque, minimal wind and tyre noise – with a chassis that loves to be thrown around when the mood takes you.

Engines are, in the main, four-cylinder units. There’s a 2.0-litre diesel, with either 163- or 180hp in single-turbo guise, or 240hp with a pair of turbochargers. All of these can do 0-62mph in less than nine seconds, the 240 completing the sprint in just 6.5 seconds, and they all surpass 130mph for top speed (153mph for the 240). Over on the petrol side, it’s also a 2.0-litre engine. It delivers either 200- or 250hp, with 0-62mph times of 7.5- and 6.6 seconds respectively, and top speeds of 146- and 152mph.

Reserved almost exclusively for the top-grade S cars are the V6s, although you can have the diesel in Portfolio specification. Said diesel is a twin-turbo 3.0-litre unit, with 300hp and a massive 517lb ft of torque. It’ll do 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds and go on to a limited 155mph – and it’s an absolute peach, bursting with flexibility and velvet-smooth from idle to redline.

Much the same can be said about the most powerful XF engine, the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol, rated at 380hp/332lb ft. It propels the saloon from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds and is also limited to 155mph. Both these V6s would be our preferred choices, but they’re not cheap in any guise.

A six-speed manual is offered on the 163- and 180hp diesels only, while the 180 and 240 diesels, as well as the 250hp petrol, can be specified with all-wheel drive. These AWD Jaguars have to have the eight-speed automatic, which is an option on the base four-cylinder diesels and standard fit on every other XF going; and the auto better suits the Jaguar’s character.

Recommended engine: 2.0d 240hp

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Safety Features: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

The Jaguar XF has a five-star Euro NCAP rating. All XFs get six airbags, Emergency Brake Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, a speed limiter function, Hill-Launch Assist, Trailer Stability Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition with Adaptive Speed Limiter, and two ISOFIX mounting points in the rear.

An impressive enough array, but then on the options list are Lane Keep Assist with Driver Condition Monitor, Blind Spot Monitor and Reverse Traffic Detection, Blind Spot Assist (collision prevention via automatic steering inputs), a Head-Up Display, and Adaptive Cruise Control with Intelligent Emergency Braking. The Jaguar just misses out on top marks here because it doesn’t offer the driver tiredness monitor as standard (the Mercedes E-Class does) and it doesn’t have some of the absolutely fanciest gizmos, like Night Vision and Remote Control Parking, that the BMW 5 Series can be had with.

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Specs and Trim Levels: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

Colours

There are 12 colours, universal to all models and split into solid, metallic, and premium metallic groups. For the first of these, for no cost you can choose from Fuji White or Narvik Black. The first optional extra level up is represented by the metallic shades, which are Yulong White, Santorini Black, Indus Silver, Corris Grey, Loire Blue, Caesium Blue, Firenze Red, and Rossello Red. The two most expensive colours are premium Carpathian Grey and Silicon Silver.

Trim Levels

The line-up starts with Prestige and then splits into two arms, with Portfolio on the Luxury side and R-Sport on the, well, Sport side. Topping it off is S, classed as a Sport grade (Prestige is grouped with Portfolio as the entry to Luxury XF ownership). Price-wise, it runs Prestige, R-Sport, Portfolio, and then S.

The entry Prestige cars come with 17-inch alloys, Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, heated front seats, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, and reverse parking sensors. Portfolio ups the opulence with 18-inch wheels, a higher grade of leather seats, keyless entry and go, front parking sensors, and a reversing camera, among more.

The R-Sport models have a body kit adorning their lower portions and a different design of 18-inch alloy, as well as sports suspension and interior detailing befitting of a car with a dynamic focus. The S models have their own distinctive styling, with larger front air intakes, as well as red brake callipers and some of the toys from the Portfolio, plus Adaptive Dynamics.

Size and Dimensions

It’s a long car, as all vehicles in this class are, so bear that in mind when buying one. The XF measures 1,987mm across without including the door mirrors.

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Running Costs & Fuel Economy: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

The best bet here is the 163hp diesel, which can turn in more than 70mpg with just 104g/km CO2 emissions if fitted with a manual gearbox. That makes it the clear company car winner, although all XFs bar one are in the 22-30 percent Benefit-in-Kind bracket. The sole outsider is the XF S V6 petrol, in the highest band of 37 percent, as it’s the least efficient of the Jag line-up at 34mpg – but that’s not bad for a near-400hp car. Insurance groups run from 25-42 and residual values are very strong, too.

Reliability and servicing

Modern-day Jags seem to be less troublesome than they once were and the XF feels like it is well-built, with a range of dependable, proven engines. As there’s a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, that can be extended for 12 months at a time for a fee after it has expired, we wouldn’t say there was much to worry about when running an XF. Servicing isn’t cheap but the XF has long mileage intervals for maintenance and Jaguar, like so many manufacturers, offers service packages that cover multiple years’ worth of care for a one-off, fixed cost.

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Pricing: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)

With a starting point of £32,490, the Jaguar XF looks considerably cheaper than its BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class rivals (both nearer £36,000 for a kick-off), especially as the British car has a generous specification in Prestige trim. However, those German prices are for 190hp+ models with automatic gearboxes, which means the equivalent Jaguar is more like £35,000. Most of the range stays well below £45,000 in showroom guise, the exceptions being the V6s – the Portfolio diesel is more than £47,500 and the two S variants are both beyond the £50,000 mark.

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