Cat is out of the bag: Jaguar XF revealed

Jaguar XF has always been the big bold looking cat snarling down at you, but after completing almost 8 years of its tour of duty, the British automobile manufacturer decided its time to give the XF a much needed upgrade. And trust Jaguar to unveil the second-generation XF in style as it performed a high-wire water crossing in London. Stuntman Jim Dowdall, a veteran of Bond and Bourne movies, drove the car across two 34mm-diameter wires suspended high in the air. As spectacular and breath taking as the event was, the purpose behind this was to showcase how light the new car is, thanks to its aluminum structure, which it shares with the XE saloon.

The new XF uses 75 per cent of aluminum which has helped reduce its weight by 190kg over the outgoing model and an increase in torsional stiffness of up to 28 per cent. The XF boasts of a 2,960mm wheelbase, which is 51mm longer than the first generation model,and has improved rear seat space with more legroom, kneeroom and headroom. The new XF, though, is 7mm shorter and 3mm lower than the car it replaces.

The light, stiff bodystructure has also improved XF’s dynamics. The double wishbone and Integral Link suspension – combined with near-50:50 weight distribution – aims to deliver the ideal balance between agility, comfort and refinement.

The 2.0-litre diesel engines are available in 163PS with 380Nm of torque and 180PS and 430Nm and are mated with specially-optimised six-speed manual- and eight-speed automatic transmissions. The XF also comes with a more powerful 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel with an output to 300PS and 700Nm of torque. The most powerful XF comes with a 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine with 380PS/450Nm torque. It does not come with a hell raiser supercharged V8 at the moment, but in time we might get to see that power house plonked under the hood.

The XF gets the all-new InControl Touch Pro system features a 10.2-inch touchscreen and Dual View technology which simultaneously allows the driver to see information such as navigation, while the front seat passenger watches TV or a DVD. This infotainment system is powered by a quad-core processor, which ensures fast response times.

Complementing InControl Touch Pro is a reconfigurable 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster and a 17-speaker Meridian audio system. The new XF is the first Jaguar to offer full-LED headlights.

According to Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, "In creating the all-new XF, as a design team we have been driven by discipline, the discipline of simplicity. Every exterior line on the XF has a clear purpose – nothing is superfluous. Achieving that simplicity takes time and requires great determination; it’s all too easy to add lines to a car, but much harder to addcharacter by leaving lines out." He further added, “Inside too, we have been driven by the desire to ensure the XF’s cabin is as comforting as it is comfortable. New technology, including our new 10.2-inch touchscreen, is combined carefully with materials that cosset and reassure. The all-new XF has a clear sense of calm and strength, both outside and inside – and I’m proud of my team for delivering that.”