Jaguar XF landing early next year

JAGUAR is mounting a large luxury sedan assault against the big three German brands, with pricing confirmed for its all-new XF, which undercuts the Mercedes-Benz and BMW equivalents by $100.

Priced from $82,800 before on-road costs, the XF Prestige 20d kicks off the new range with a 2.0-litre diesel four-cylinder to do battle with the 2.0-litre compression ignition equivalent 520d from BMW and the 2.2-litre E220 CDI from Mercedes.

Without a four-cylinder diesel A6, Audi does not offer a direct equivalent with a choice of either $99,900 3.0 TDI quattro with six cylinders and four-wheel drive, or the $79,990 1.8 TFSI with petrol power and front drive.

The first XFs will touch down in the first quarter of 2016 featuring the British car-maker's “intensive aluminium architecture,” five engine choices consisting of two diesels and three petrols, four specifications levels and a wide range of customisation options.

Alongside the Ingenium four-pot diesel will be a 3.0-litre 221kW V6 diesel for the XF S, priced from $120,700, while the second XF S of the line-up will be the performance flagship with a 280kW supercharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 – the same unit under the bonnet of the F-Type V6 S sportscar – and costs $128,200.

The middle of the range is comprised of three variants under the XF R-Sport banner starting with the 2.0-litre diesel 20d, a 25t 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder with 177kW priced from $89,800, and a more performance focused 3.0-litre 35t with 250kW – from the supercharged V6 used in the standard F-Type – and a $104,800 price tag.

Sitting above the mid-range R-Sport options are two Portfolio variants that share the 25t and 35t engines, priced from $97,800 and $112,800 respectively.

For now, there is no mention of a fiery V8 version to replace the supercharged XFR and XFR-S of the previous generation.

The line-up will be eight-speed automatic across the board with no manual gearbox on offer, while the company's All-Surface traction control monitors power through the rear wheels on all variants.

Jaguar says the all-new construction has saved 190kg of weight over the previous generation, boosting fuel efficiency and driving enjoyment, while the new layout has freed up 15mm more legroom, 24mm extra kneeroom and 27mm more headroom in the back.

Double wishbone suspension up front and a unique multi-link system at the back, combined with near 50/50 weight distribution maintains interior comfort as well as rewarding dynamics according to the car-maker.

Depending on the specification level, the Jag gets up to a 10.2-inch touchscreen for accessing InControl Touch Pro systems such as the door-to-door navigation and 17-speaker 825W Meridian sound system, while a second 12.3-inch screen replaces gauges in the cluster and is customisable for driver preferences.

Extra information is also relayed to the driver via the laser head-up display, which projects vital information such as road-speed onto the inside of the windscreen.

Jaguar describes the XF interior as “a seamless blend of contemporary luxury materials and finishes, traditional Jaguar craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology”.

Overall, the new model has a 51mm longer wheelbase, but a 66mm shorter front overhang, and at 4954mm long, measures 7mm shorter than the outgoing XF.

In addition to all the customary safety systems, the XF has a forward-facing stereo camera which monitors traffic and can apply brakes autonomously as well as lane keeping and active cruise control, which operates down to stop and go speeds.

Adaptive full-LED headlights feature for the first time in any Jaguar model and have automatic dusk-sensing and self-dipping functions.

Compared with the outgoing XF 2.2 Premium Luxury, the XF's price has increased by $6300 but the new base version gains tyre pressure monitoring, power folding mirrors with memory, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, 380W stereo, lane departure warning, autonomous braking and parallel parking assistant.

2016 Jaguar XF pricing*

Prestige 20d (a)	$82,800
R-Sport 20d (a)	$88,800
R-Sport 25t (a)	$89,800
R-Sport 35t (a)	$104,800
Portfolio 25t (a)	$97,800
Portfolio 35t (a)	$112,800
S 30d (a)	$120,700
S 30sc (a)	$128,200

*Excludes on-road costs