The new XF range will be available in four trim levels: XF Prestige, XF R-Sport, XF Portfolio and XF S, although pricing and specification for Australian cars won’t be finalised until closer to the car’s local launch in late November.
That said, expect the range to highly competitive on both fronts, as JLR Australia is on record as saying it accepts the German makes are the leaders in the segment, and it, as the challenger brand, will have to be sharp.
Jaguar will launch the XF with two petrol and two diesel engines, all Euro 6-compliant, and each mated to a super-smooth eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, at least for Australia. European markets will also offer a six-speed manual on some variants.
On the powertrain front, the range kicks off with the first of Jaguar’s all-new Ingenium engines; a 132kW/430Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel unit, which replaces the previous 2.2-litre diesel.
Designed and built in-house, it features variable valve timing and reduced friction and noise levels, while claiming 4.3L/100km and CO2 emissions of just 114g/km. It will also hit 100km/h from a standstill in 8.1 seconds, while top speed is 229km/h.
We sampled this car first and the performance numbers listed above feel about right. It’s not as punchy as the XE with the same powertrain, but that’s to be expected from a larger car carrying considerably more weight.